My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting

The boy has been waiting for this day for many months. It's the day his daddy comes home from overseas. He jumps out of bed and gets ready for the big event. But before going downstairs for breakfast, he takes along something very important: his red balloon. There will be many families and loved ones at the pier. The red balloon will help his father find him among the crowd. But as the ship approaches, the boy loses his grip on the red balloon. Will his daddy find him in the crowd?