- subtitled “The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785”
- two men who despise each other are forced to reconcile in order to avoid catastrophe
- convo: brandy mentioned, the men end up in underwear (which, for that time period, are fluffy shorts down to their knees), one page shows them urinating (from behind)
- language: one French phrase “zut alors,” which some sources translate as “damn!” while others translate as “Shucks!”
- illustrations excellently give view into the time period
Type: (mostly) biographical picture book
Ages: 5-10
Author: Matthew Olshan
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
It’s always gratifying to read picture book biographies–often they’re more memorable than adult ones! The author’s note in the back reveals that he added some of the conversation plus a few other minor embellishments. Otherwise, it all happened as he wrote it.
Your children might enjoy the comical bickering between the men, the fact that two doggies rode in the balloon with them, and the drama of having to lighten their load. 🙂 It’s definitely interesting enough to check it out from your library!