The Tewnty-One Ballons
Written by William Pen Du Bois
Illustrated by William Pen Du Bois
Reviewed by Aidan G. (age 7)
The twenty-one Balloons is about a math professor named William Waterman Sherman who decides to retire and travel by hot air balloon for one year. A large group of seagulls peck holes in his balloon and he is forced to land on the island of Krakatoa. This book is about his adventures on the island and the wacky people who live there.
I liked the book because there was a lot of action and something was always happening. The author has a funny sense of humor. Professor Sherman has funny thoughts like wanting to fly a hot air balloon to school so the wind might accidentally take him another direction. He was tired of being a math teacher.
My favorite part was when the island volcano erupted. All of the characters had to rush to escape and they were trapped in the hot air balloon right over the volcano. This story takes place in the late 1800s when Krakatoa really erupted.
The story made me think of how people act when they are very wealthy. The Krakatoans had a diamond mine on the island but there was nothing for them to purchase there. It was silly, but smart what they did with their diamonds. However, I'll let you read the story to find out how they shared their wealth.
I recommend this story to kids who really like adventure. These adventures came really quickly and made the book a fast read. It kept me very interested. If you like an author with a silly imagination- and with a lot of room for your imagination- read this book.