Space Balloons
Hugs And Hovercrafts
2011
Big Little Guy woke up sick the other morning. He had a nasty fever, wouldn’t eat, and seemed bored out of his skull.
I picked him up, plunked him on my lap, and pulled up the Space Balloons website. He loves Welcome to Balloononia. Maybe their new Hugs And Hovercrafts double single would cheer him up.
I press play and the ukulele strums of “Hug War” start in. He listens intently to the song. He seems to be perking up a little.
“I want to hear the rest.”
“Hovercraft Full Of Eels” has the same sense of whimsy as “The Tale Of The Space Balloons”, a song that Big Bittle Guy likes quite a bit. As we’re listening I explain to him what a hovercraft is.
“Can it go on water, too?”
“Yes it can. It can go over land and water.”
He goes back to listening. When the song ends, Big Little Guy asks me to play it again. Space Balloons have once again enchanted him. He quickly learns how to play the song over and over again.
Mom comes home.
“Mom! A hovercraft is like a car, but it doesn’t have wheels! And it can go on land and water!”
Later that night, as I was emptying the dishwasher, a familiar tune popped into my head. I start to sing. Big Little Guy and Mom join me.
Floating in our hovercraft full of eels
Flying through the air ’cause it has no wheels
Really, really happy is how we feel
Floating in our hovercraft…
Where to get it: