A review by bkmuse7
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

5.0

When I picked this book off the Newbery(noting the fashionable new cover), I tried to remember if I had read it before. As soon as I saw "Krakatoa" I remembered reading it as a child . . . not specifics about it, but remembered liking it and being totally fascinated with the South Pacific for a phase. As an adult, I appreciate it's very dry sense of humor -- I love the humor/whimsy/wit in the writing style. It seems very modern in some ways -- perhaps this type of "sophistication" was in fashion for a while, went out of style, and is back again? I love the outrageousness of it, of the amazing inventions of the people on the island (especially the beds that could go right through the skylights so that one could sleep under the stars at night. Would make a good read-aloud and also a good choice for those early expert readers.