Red Balloon Bookshop

I stopped in for my Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and got an amazing Two Minute Tour! The store is organized by age and decorated in a whimsical way. When you walk in, you are greeted with books for infants/toddlers. As you move towards the back you find middle school aged reads, then a YA/Teen section, and a smaller adult section at the back. Even as someone without kids, the adult section was small but intriguing! A discount section is located in the basement.A must revisit for me!

This book shop is a truly special place. Everyone is so helpful and they have an incredible selection. They are truly committed to their customers and I think do a great job of lifting up the world through literature. I absolutely love picking out books for my children here and bringing them! I will definitely be back!

Local. Independent. Warm atmosphere. Children's bookstore. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. What more could you possibly ask for? This book store has been here since my son was small (my favorite memory was bring him & my niece to listen to local author Nancy Carlson read her book). Recently we brought my grandchild-she had the same reaction! She loved running through the store, laughing at the large bear, finding more books than she could carry. This is a true good find in St. Paul!!

Ok, so ten years ago Red B. was kind of competing with Bound To Be Read across the street. I loved the latter because it was cuter AND every time I wanted a book, Red Balloon didn't have it and had to order it. Thanks, I'll just use Amazon.However, after all these years I decided to stop in to browse. Before my browse, I was in a Grinchy Christmas mood. Last minute gifts, no ideas, stressed out!Within two minutes I had found a book for every person on my list. These were books I hadn't ever heard of, but went with a series that they liked. Then I got caught up in all the signed copies of beautiful childrens book and yes let me tell you, my heart LITERALLY grew 3 sizes that day. I felt a swell of love for books and man-kind.

A wonderfully friendly well organized book store mostly for children. A renovated older home on Grand makes a perfect setting for this unique urban stopping point on one of the coolest streets in the country.Just watch out for the different levels of the floor as you browse the thousands of titles and be sure to check the small area for adults. There is complementary gift wrap as they skillfully curl ribbons for an impressive gift.A person could browse here for hours on end. Many of titles are the same as when I was little. Some things never get dated.

I visited this store in the past and loved it. But our visit in Oct 2024 was a big disappointment. No surprise that there were no customers. The book selection and the gift items were limited to woke themes. I saw nothing I would consider for any child.

An absolutely wonderful book store with a strong emphasis on stories for children and young readers. Their stock is a little smaller in the continued wake of Covid, but I still managed to walk out with several books (including a few that weren't on my list!). Attentive staff and a little something for everyone. A very charming shop!

Loved supporting this little shop when we came to town but not sure we will be back. It's become extremely liberal. To the point where the "non-fiction" section is just extremely bias and full of liberal books, doesn't even have both sides. Lots of agenda pushing with kids books too. Very sad.

This used to be one of our favorite bookstores. I brought my granddaughter to pick out a book and the book choice for her age was marginal. Then she desperately needed to use the bathroom, but store clerk said it was now for staff only. We had to run down the block in the rain and sleet. After this, we went back and no one helped us. They stood at cash register talking. Then I hear another mother ask to use restroom and she and her children had to run down the street. This is a book store for children and they often need to use the bathroom. Really ridiculous. The clerk said it was due to covid. This is post-mask mandate and a return to near normal. Staff is using it as an excuse as we don't get a hue and cry about getting Covid from toilet seats. Never going back.

Great locally owned and independent bookstore. They carry a great selection of the "classic" children's books you'd expect to find and also many new ones that I wasn't familiar with. I really appreciated that they have a small but well curated young adult section as well as a small section of books and poetry for adults.