During a recent library class, fifth-grade students at Harbor Hill Elementary School learned about puppeteer Tony Sarg—the father of modern puppetry in North America. His vast knowledge of puppet technology led him to design the inaugural Thanksgiving Day parade balloon for Macy’s Department Store in 1927.

Students read “Balloons Over Broadway” and learned how Sarg created a reverse marionette using strings, carried by people on the ground to manipulate various helium balloons to make it appear that they were moving, like a puppet.

Students in Mrs. Nappi’s class furthered the lesson by creating their own Thanksgiving Day balloons, which they paraded around the entire school.