"They'd just taken them somewhere she hadn't yet been, to magical places she hadn't yet seen."

Ella comes down one morning to feed her pets and finds that they have disappeared. She discovers them floating away on balloons, high in the sky. Try as she might, she can't get them to come back. But although they are out of reach, Ella soon learns they are not truly gone as long as they remain in her heart and her memories. Written in gentle rhyming verse with light-hearted illustrations, Ella and the Balloons in the Sky is a story that tackles the tough subject of love and loss in a new way--with whimsy, magic, and lightness.

Danny Appleby's profile page

Lauren Pirie's profile page

Danny Appleby founded and runs the acclaimed creative agency Think Tank Creative where he spends his days creating digital art and eating cereal. Aside from being a visual artist, Danny has been a semi-professional rollerblader, a grade seven public speaking regional runner-up, a backup harmonica player (in his older brother's band), and an avid writer both creatively and journalistically. It wasn't until recently that he made the move into the world of children's stories. Danny lives in Toronto.

Lauren Pirie studied communication design at Ryerson University and illustration at the Ontario College of Art and Design, but still thinks some of her most influential education was acquired during childhood summers at camp. She currently lives and works in Toronto where she is a resident at HUNTCLUB Studio & Gallery, Co-founder and Creative Director of the art and environmental organization the About Face Collective, a freelance illustrator, and a multidisciplinary artist. Ella and the Balloons in the Sky is her first children's book.

"Delicate, doodle-like ink drawings on tea-stained paper have a homemade, serene quality that works well with the pensive tone . . . Appleby’s message of acceptance coupled with Pirie’s tranquil pastel illustrations make this a tender glimpse into feelings of loss and grief."
—Booklist