The Twenty-One Balloons
Ratings12
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings12
Average rating3.7
A Newbery Medal Winner Professor William Waterman Sherman intends to fly across the Pacific Ocean. But through a twist of fate, he lands on Krakatoa, and discovers a world of unimaginable wealth, eccentric inhabitants, and incredible balloon inventions.Winner of the 1948 Newbery Medal, this classic fantasy-adventure is now available in a handsome new edition. "William Pene du Bois combines his rich imagination, scientific tastes, and brilliant artistry to tell astory that has no age limit."—The Horn Book
Reviews with the most likes.
This is such a weird book, I got a lot of Pixar Up vibes from it.
I really enjoyed this whimsical book about a professor who sets out to travel in a balloon for an entire year. I would think the story of a year's long journey in a hot-air balloon would be interesting enough, but this story takes it up several notches. I loved the descriptions (not to mention the technical drawings) of all the professor saw and experienced on his trip.
This won the Newbery Medal in 1947, so while I find the old-fashioned language completely charming, I'm not sure how it would sit with the younger crowd. Recommended for mature fourth or fifth graders or maybe middle schoolers who like other old-fashioned books.
