Old Art | Storybook Concept - "The Balloon Thief" (Patreon)

This week my sister was clearing out an old laptop and ended up finding a bunch of my artwork from my high school and college days. I thought a lot of this was lost forever, so this was a nice surprise! I'm going to be archiving it here so we can't lose it again.

For those that don't know, I went to school for Graphic Design. Originally, my plan was to become a children's book illustrator. My school didn't have an illustration major, so I figured Graphic Design was the next best thing and I don't regret going into it. At the end of my senior year we were given an insane amount of work, including having to raise the funds for our senior showcase ourselves which is some absolute bullshit.

One of the things we had to do was to create a "Self-Initiated Project"! I chose a little storybook about a girl in Italy who was obsessed with stealing balloons.

Of note: College was—medically speaking—the worst period of my life. I was sick almost constantly, probably because I never ate anything. I had an awful case of strep throat at the end of the year, so I actually asked our good buddy Will to record a read-through of this book for me. My professor let me go first so I could go home after class, so I trudged into class literally wrapped in a blanket and unable to speak. I played Will's audio over a slide show I had created, presented the book, and immediately left so I could pass out for seven hours.

I thought I'd lost this book aside from the transcript, but my sister recovered it, so here it is! This includes some thumbnail sketches of the page spreads and character design ideas. The square-shaped pages near the end are also older artwork from Freshman year, actually. I was in a separate bookmaking class and this was one of my pitches, but I ended up doing another project, which I can also post here.

So, without further ado, here is the transcript for the book!

You can download Will's narration here and listen along while you scroll through the unfinished illustrations. 

On an island in Italy
At the Turn of the Times
A basket with a baby
On a stoop did arrive

The caretaker told others
(Though they called him a loon)
For this baby named Ariel,
Arrived by balloon

The man took her in
And began to impart
A number of words
That the girl took to heart:

“My girl” he said, “You must aim to inspire.”
“The fact that we’re poor doesn’t matter at all”
Always go bigger and always aim higher,
Never be satisfied with something that’s small.”

Ariel, she was crafty
And bright as the moon
There was only one problem:
She liked stealing balloons.

She took them from shops
When they went into town
She even took them
From her own party clown!

She didn’t know why,
Or “How?” “What?” or “Who?”
But after awhile
She had her own zoo!

The kids didn’t mind\
They were wowed and amazed!
“Oh well,” said the man
“I’m sure it’s just a phase.”

But it wasn’t a phase,
That much was clear.
Ariel kept swiping
Year after year.

She started with vendors
Who sold lemonade
But as time went on
She took from parades!

No one could stop her
(She was a go-getter)
And as time went on
She only got better

When she hopped on a boat
And stole imports from Greece
She caught the attention
Of the local police.

She outwitted the cops
At each twist and turn
How Ariel escaped them,
They never did learn

“Unleash all the hounds!”
Unleash all the Schnauzers!”
She was in quite a huff,
Officer High-Trousers

“Curse that Ariel!
Curse all of her bones!”
Shouted the gumshoe
In frustrated tones

“That girl’s very sneaky,
That much is clear
But I know how to catch her
“I’ve got an idea.”

The cops gathered ‘round
Their boss on the phone
The one she called lived
Quite far from their home

“Hello, this is me,”
Said a Russian named Kissel.
A blimp maker lady
Who's shaped like a missile

“Kissel, it’s Trousey,
I’m calling a favor
This Ariel girl
Has some rotten behavior”

“Let’s throw a fake festival
Trap her in our paw!”
“Are you in?” asked High-Trousers?
And Kissel said “Da.”

They passed out their posters
And outlined their mission:
They’d trap all the baskets
And rush her position.

“With so many targets
She cannot resist!”
And High-Trousers smiled\
While clenching her fist.

The plans were all set,
Their trap up and running.
She sent them her card
So they’d know she was coming

“Hey there policemen,
I saw your brochure!”
“This sounds like good fun!”
“I’ll be there, for sure!”

And then on the backside: I am no liar
You’d better be ready when I come to call.
Always go bigger and always aim higher,
Never be satisfied with something that’s small.

The aircraft arrived
In colored festoons
Tens upons hundreds
Of hot air balloons!

Of course they were gorgeous
But they looked like wimps
When Kissel arrived
In her ginormous blimp

“The balloons are all trapped,
We’ll know which one she takes
To snag even one
Is a fatal mistake.”

As they discussed her,
She snuck towards her prize
By wearing a very
Crafty disguise

Then SNAP! went a rope
And one took to the air!
“We’ve got her now, men!
She’s right over there!”

“She can’t escape now!”
They climbed up together.
“That thing can’t fly off!
It’s still got its tether!”

But when they looked in,
There was no one inside!
No girl, just a dummy!
That’s all that they spied!

The cops were confused.
What the hey? What the heck!?
“Well,  just to be sure,
We best double check.”

They took a peek
And then took a peek-er
“I’m taking this blimp,”
Said a voice from the speaker

It was the thief girl!
She was up, overhead
In Kissel’s airship!
They had heard what she’d said.

High-Trousers was angry
And Kissel was cussin’
But nobody heard
‘Cause she said it in Russian

“Silly coppers, didn’t you read my flyer?”
This blimp is the biggest balloon of them all!
Always go bigger and always aim higher,
Never be satisfied with something that’s small.”