Sugars Travels: Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

About the Book

Sugar and her family take to the skies in their very own hot air balloon! Soar above breathtaking landscapes and discover the wonder of flight in this colorful, high-flying adventure.

Before Reading

1. Have you ever seen a hot air balloon? What did it look like?
2. How do you think a hot air balloon flies?
3. If you could fly anywhere, where would you go?

Discussion Questions

1. How did Sugar feel when the balloon lifted off the ground?
2. What could the family see from high in the sky?
3. Why do you think people gather for a balloon fiesta?
4. What would you pack for a hot air balloon ride?
5. What was your favorite picture in the book, and why?

Vocabulary

fiesta

a big, happy celebration (Spanish word)

basket

where passengers stand in a hot air balloon

altitude

how high something is above the ground

landscape

everything you can see across an area of land

soar

to fly high in the air

Activities

• Warm Air Rises: With an adult, place a balloon over a bottle in warm water and watch it grow. Talk about why hot air balloons rise.
• Design a Balloon: Design your own balloon with colors and patterns that show who you are.
• Sky-High Postcard: Write a postcard to a friend describing what you see from the balloon.

Curriculum Connections

Science (air & heat) · Writing · Geography · Art