The Blue Balloon is the bestselling picture book which first introduced Kipper, created by the master storyteller, Mick Inkpen.

Kipper the dog has found a soggy blue balloon in the garden. At first, it seems like an ordinary balloon, but it's not. It's full of fun, magic and endless possibilities...

30 years after it was first published, The Blue Balloon is a celebrated picture book classic. It features the very first appearance of Mick Inkpen's much-loved puppy charachter, Kipper, and has delighted millions of children worldwide. This playful tale of imagination, complete with fantastic fold-out pages, is a classic to be treasured, loved and shared time and time again.

This gorgeous anniversary edition comes complete with special bonus material and is an absolute must for all Kipper fans!

"This Inkpen classic features some of the best examples of fold-outs ever... although thanks to some very enthusiastic young hands our copy's mostly held together with sticky-tape now." - The Guardian (Aidan Moffat)

"A delightful story with a surprise on every page" - Child Care

"The story is charming and the illustrations uncluttered ... an ideal book to base work around, to explore dreams and magic, and the notion that something so ordinary can become something so exciting" - Child Education

"The easy-to-read text with its wealth of sparkling vocabulary makes this a classic story to be treasured and read time and time again" - EYE Magazine

"Beautifully illustrated and full of the kinds of visual surprises kids love." - What's On (July 1993)

"Inkpen's pale watercolours against a white background give a cool, calm feel, while the use of pull-out pages and sequences of pictures give an animated feel. Beginner readers will be able to tackle the simple text, but it's a great story to share with all ages." - Junior, July 2000