The Twenty-One Balloons (Puffin Modern Classics)

Reminiscent of the adventure of Kon Tiki, spellbinding!! Was reading in conjunction with my granddaughter and am eager to share my thoughts with her.

I loved this whole book overall. The only thing I did not like is that it has a slow ( yet necessary) start. However the adventure, mystery, and creative base of the book was amazing

William Penn DuBois was a wonderful illustrator and a delightful story teller. His upbeat tale of balloon flight and "steam punk" technology is peppered with lovely pictures and humour observations of the human condition. It's also an opportunity to discuss the world and geography with a young child as his trip is a circumnavigation in a "mere 40 days"! Jules Verne move over.

As a child, this was one of my favorite books, because of the fantastical story and because of the memorable illustrations. I re-read it many times, and remembered it very fondly. This year, during a difficult period, I decided on an another re-read, hoping to slide back into a dearly remembered fictional world. But what charmed me so as a child was less engrossing as an adult. In part, the frequent technological digressions seemed dull. In part, a bit of political correctness may have been in play (all those Europeans!). In part, the fact that only the central character was in any sense a personality -- or perhaps more accurately a Victorian stereotype -- was a negative. So, I discover that what entranced me 60 years ago doesn't really entrance me now! Wow!! I shall still try it on my 11-year old niece: at present, her opinon of it is a lot more relevant than mine.

Buena calidad del libro

An excellent classic for late elementary or middle school. A fun, whimsical tale full of twists and turns that children will delight in.

I gave this delightful book to my grandson (age 13) for Christmas. I haven't heard any reviews from him (I gave him a stack of books), but it's a book I loved way back when. From this book, I plunged into Jules Verne novels, which are on my list for the future.

I purchased for a friend who is in fourth grade. One of my favorite children’s books of all time. I’m 67 years old and I read this book in fourth grade. Just as delightful now as then.