The Twenty-One Balloons

i ordered this book because i had read numerous accounts stating this was one of the best kids books ever. the edition i got is beautiful (four or five stars). it's lovely to behold. the story? well...i find it unnecessarily wordy. as a kid and now as an adult, i've never cared for a narration that elaborates just for the sake of adding words to the word count. in a way, this is a noisy book because of that and it makes the magic of the story harder to hear. some of the comical bits regarding the absurdity of various situations will likely be missed by younger kids. and there is no character that is fully developed that would make a kid want to latch onto that character. i bought 10 "best kids" books when i bought this book and so far it's not at the top of those 10 books. but still, i find the book somewhat captivating in that it really is a story that was told back in the 1940s and i like that. this book in the 1940s must have been really something. now? it's not quite passed the entire test of time.

Sigh.... Fond memories...

Magical. Loved this book as a child. In about 6th grade, I discovered this book, and read it a couple times, checked out from the library. Then, as an adult, I bought it for myself, and I keep buying it for the kids and grandkids. Delightful.

The author, William du Bois, rather a French gentleman, writes in a style different from American norm. But, that's part of the magic. The formalness of his descriptions and storytelling.

I love an adventure, real or in a book. As a kid, I read tons and tons of books, and would get completely absorbed in them. This one was like that. Reading it, I could see it all in my head, like a movie. To me, that's what makes a really good book.

My kids all read this, at ages from 10 - 16, and now I'm passing to the grandkids. Buy a few.

Good clean fun!

This writer has a fun style of writing. His adventure takes you to an Island that is really different. Just a fun book with inventions, a hot air balloon ride across the world, mystery, danger... I really enjoyed this and my dad did too.

This is my favorite book that was read to me by my 6th grade teacher. The copy I received was in good shape.

I purchased this book for my granddaughter. It was one I loved when I was a child. My grandfather used to read it to me and then with me. Wonderful story to share.

I read this, plus other books written by the author, ~50 years ago. I bought this (+ other books by William Pene DuBois) to read to my grand-children. The author is the Jules Vern of our time. He writes captivating stories that are as interesting as they are unique. The author has a vivid imagination, is a great story-teller and the books are richly illustrated. If you read one, you (or your grand-child(ren))will want the rest of the series.

good product fast shipping thank you . AAA+++

BEST book ever.

one of my favorite books of all time

This book looks older than I had hoped but I ordered it upon a request from one of my students.