Book excerpt: Hope, the Pink Balloon! is a sweet and delightful children's story that seeks to follow the main character, Hope, as she floats about to visit with each of her six balloon friends. Daisy, Nifty, Bounce, Patrick, Holly-Kathryn, and Grace each share with Hope their excitement and adventures for the day. The colors and faces of each balloon parallel their individual adventure and offer insight as to the joy their duty brings to them. Hope offers kind and supportive words along the way to each balloon as a boost of daily encouragement. She is the main character in this first of seven books and perhaps the balloon of hope and wisdom--note her initial lack of hair and string of pearls. The dialogue between Hope and her friends is meant to demonstrate the importance of kindness and respect we should all show towards one another. Near the end, Hope meets the final balloon, Grace, who eventually suffers an untimely fate, the outcome of which seeks to symbolize the amazing love and grace offered to each of us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.