Mystery Bottle

by Kristen Balouch

Overview

Winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, Mystery Bottle is a delightful picture book about a boy in Brooklyn and his grandfather in Iran that shows us that love has no borders.

When a boy in Brooklyn opens a mysterious package from Iran, he finds more than just a bottle—he discovers a portal to his grandfather. Swept away by a magical wind, he is carried across oceans and mountains to his Baba Bazorg’s arms. In this beautifully illustrated picture book, author and artist Kristen Balouch shows how love transcends borders, politics, and distance, based on her family’s circumstances.

With dynamic, cut-paper-style artwork rich in cultural detail, Mystery Bottle is a heartwarming celebration of family, imagination, and the unbreakable connection between generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623718244
Publisher:	Interlink Publishing Group Inc
Publication date:	07/26/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Designer, author, and illustrator Kristen Balouch has created almost a dozen award winning books for children, including If You Are the Dreamer and One Million Trees.

Editorial Reviews

A brown paper parcel arrives in Brooklyn and upon opening it, a young boy finds a small bottle with a rolled-up map tucked inside. He soon discovers the jar is magical as it emits a strong wind that sends him on a trip around the world. VERDICT [This] title will spark imaginations and intrigue youngsters.

School Library Journal

Although grandson and grandfather live far from one another, readers will understand that the bond between the generations conquers any distance.

Publisher's Weekly

Delightfully dynamic cut-paper-style illustrations, scattered with cultural details of Brooklyn and Tehran ... Sweet, magical and visually fascinating.

Kirkus Reviews

A seven-year-old boy receives a mysterious package that takes him on a journey to a distant grandfather. The package contains a bottle that, when opened, releases a wind that blows the boy across the sea to his grandfather in Iran. The two meet over tea and get to know one another, with entertaining questions-"What books do you like?"; "What is slimier-a worm or a slug?"-explored peripherally in the illustrations. Delightfully dynamic cut-paper-style illustrations, scattered with cultural details of Brooklyn and Tehran, are overlaid on maps in English and Arabic. A final page of third-person prose provides background information that, if read aloud, distracts from the simple tale: The boy's grandfather hasn't seen his own son since 1978. Sweet, magical and visually fascinating. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews