“Prepare to take off on an incredible quest through the heavens.”

Billy Stargazer just won the Bible verse memorization contest at church for his age group, the seven-year-olds. He is ecstatic because the winners get to visit a children’s hospital and then go to the fair. Billy has never been to the fair, so this is a real treat. Outside the hospital, Billy meets a clown who has just released the most beautiful balloon Billy has ever seen. The clown explains that he did so because the biggest, brightest, most beautiful balloons are granted admission into heaven, by God, for the enjoyment of children who are called to heaven before their time. Once in the hospital, Billy meets six sick children. He decides to buy balloons for them at the fair in case they are called to heaven soon. At the fair, he picks out the best balloons he can find, writes his new friends’ names on them, and sends them to heaven. For Billy’s act of kindness, the balloon vendor lets Billy pick out a balloon for himself. Billy wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, so he chooses a silver starship balloon. After wandering the fairgrounds, Billy boards the Galaxy Explorer, a new ride. But when the ride malfunctions and crashes, Billy must make his spiritual journey to heaven. When he arrives, he learns that he must search the infinite heavens for his beloved balloon. Billy begins his search at the heavenly petting zoo. There he meets several unique animals, like Gummy, the toothless alligator; Tiny, the gigantic flying whale; and Scales and Slick, a two-headed anaconda. But each time Billy spots his balloon, it floats just out of reach. Will Billy Stargazer’s Heavenly Quest ever end?

Tom Arnold has won multiple awards for his journalistic endeavors. He won three Katie awards from the Dallas Press Club while he was editor of the Suburban News in Farmers Branch, Texas. His articles have appeared in multiple newspapers and magazines in Texas, where he currently lives.