The poem describes what happens to eight balloons that broke free after no one bought them. Each balloon meets a different fate - one flies into the sun and pops, one rides highways and pops, one naps in a cactus pile and pops, etc. In the end, all eight balloons are free to float and fly until their air runs out and they pop wherever they want.

1. from the poem by Shel Silversteinin A Light in the Attic
HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
www.shelsilverstein.com
Bring Eight Balloons to Life
Choose eight friends to perform a short play. You can be the
narrator, the one who begins and directs the play. Each one
says and acts out what happens to each of the eight balloons.
All join together to pop at the end.
EIGHT BALLOONS
Narrator: Eight balloons no one was buyin’
All broke loose one afternoon.
Eight balloons with strings a-flyin’,
Free to do what they wanted to.
Balloon #1: One flew up to touch the sun—POP!
Balloon #2: One thought highways might be fun—POP!
Balloon #3: One took a nap in a cactus pile—POP!
Balloon #4: One stayed to play with a careless child—POP!
Balloon #5: One tried to taste some bacon fryin’—POP!
Balloon #6: One fell in love with a porcupine—POP!
Balloon #7: One looked close in a
crocodile’s mouth—POP!
Balloon #8: One sat around till his
air ran out—WHOOSH!
Narrator: Eight balloons no one was buyin’—
They broke loose and away they flew,
Free to float and free to fly
ALL: And free to pop (all pop together)
where they wanted to.
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eight balloons Copyright © 1981 by Evil Eye Music, Inc.
Designed by Kim Llewellyn
Art © 1996 Evil Eye Music, Inc.
HarperCollins Publishers,
1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019
2/07
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted by the copyright holder, HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Eight
Balloons
A Book to Draw and Play With

2. One flew up to touch the sun—POP!
Eight balloons no one was buyin’
All broke loose one afternoon.
Eight balloons with strings a-flyin’,
Free to do what they wanted to. ...
Can you draw what happens to
each and every one?
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

3. One took a nap in a cactus pile—POP!
One thought highways might be fun—POP!
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

4. One tried to taste some bacon fryin’—POP!
One stayed to play with a careless child—POP!
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

5. One looked close in a crocodile’s mouth—POP!
One fell in love with a porcupine—POP!
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

6. Eight balloons no one was buyin’—
They broke loose and away they flew,
Free to float and free to fly
And free to pop where they wanted to.
One sat around till his air ran out—WHOOSH!
Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and distribute this page has been granted on behalf of the copyright holder by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.