Recent Reads - The Twenty-One Balloons

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The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene DuBois - The Online Book Club theme for August was Newbery Medal Books, and when I started looking at the Newbery lists, this title caught my eye. The description of this Newbery Medal winner from 1947 looked charming. and this covert art was attractive too. The copy I read had a more bold and colorful cover design.

The introduction sets the stage for this story about Professor William Sherman, who wanted to live by himself floating along under a balloon, but instead briefly became a citizen of Krakatoa.

There are two kinds of travel. The usual way is to take the fastest imaginable conveyance along the shortest road. The other way is not to care particularly where you are going or how long it will take you, or whether you will get there or not.

Professor Sherman was an arithmetic teacher, and found it dull and unimaginative. He dreamed of being by himself in quiet surroundings, with nothing to do but float wherever the wind would take him. He designed a large balloon with a basket he could live in comfortably for up to a year. When he first floated up into the sky he enjoyed his adventure immensely and soon was high above the ocean. 

Trouble arrived in the form of gulls that eventually punctured his balloon. As he lost altitude he employed all his ingenuity in keeping the balloon as high above the water as possible until the last possible moment. It was with great relief that he was able to land on a small island, but he was quite surprised to find that he was on Krakatoa, and that it was NOT uninhabited, as everyone thought.

The unique citizens of Krakatoa have an unusual society but they welcome Professor Sherman cordially. He learns about how they came to live on Krakatoa, about their source of wealth, and about the interesting rules of their society. But just as he is starting to get settled, the rumbling and grumbling of the volcano indicate a dangerous eruption is imminent and they must all evacuate!

The story is imaginative and humorous, full of little ironies, and a witty blend of realistic and fantastical story telling. In some places it sounds almost believable, but there's a tongue-in-cheek type of humour that keeps it light. The illustrations throughout add to the light and witty tone. I thought the ending was rather unsatisfactory, but overall a very enjoyable book that I wish I'd been able to give to my kids when they were young.

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.

The original version of this review originally appeared on HS Coffee Break as part of the Online Book Club for August 2021

 

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