FIRE AND SILK

``Fire and silk'' is a poetic description of the hot air and polyester that really form these genial giants. Lovely, luminous photos of a balloon outing show a family inflating, flying, and landing a modern hot-air balloon; the text waxes eloquent about the serenity of the skies while Dad and the kids are flying free at the whim of the winds. Mother, meanwhile, using a two-way radio, chases down dusty country roads after the carefree crew, no doubt getting her turn next time. A celebration of high technology in the pursuit of simplicity, on a day when ``The winds have welcomed you with softness.'' (Nonfiction. 8+)