The red balloon and frog take their first adventure together, floating up and into the big blue. They meet a round boy in a square city, some kitty cats and a very square person named Mr. Pooper. At first glance the "Red Balloon and Frog" books appear to be simple stories to read. They are not. They have unusual phrasing, cadence, word play, subtleties, humor, and levels of meaning that speak to the older as well as the young reader. These stories are more than just words, they are sounds and cadence and most of all ideas.