Share <Embed>

FREE delivery: Tuesday, Sep 8 on your first order.

Fastest delivery: Thursday, Sep 3 Details

In Stock.
As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

Secure transaction

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Return policy: Returnable within 30 days of receipt

Add gift options

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by JOE'S PRIME STORE

Fulfilled by Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Add to Cart

$3.50
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: Interstate Books4school

Add to Cart

$1.49
+ $6.49 shipping

Sold by: the-pagemaster

Add to Cart

$4.00
+ $3.98 shipping

Sold by: Pen & Parchment Media

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

William Pene Dubois

The Twenty-One Balloons Paperback – May 6, 1986

by William Pene du Bois (Author)

323 ratings

See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$7.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$17.99

$12.08

$1.47

Paperback

"Please retry"

$7.99

$1.49

$0.35

A Newbery Medal Winner

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, this classic fantasy-adventure is now available in a handsome new edition.

"William Pene du Bois combines his rich imagination, scientific tastes, and brilliant artistry to tell astory that has no age limit."—The Horn Book

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

George Selden

699

in Cricket
Paperback
$4.69
Carol Ryrie Brink

323

Paperback
$7.99
Marguerite de Angeli

334

Mass Market Paperback
$6.99
Lois Lenski

141

Paperback
$7.99
Katherine Applegate

6,067

in Children's Ape & Monkey Books
Paperback
$7.99
In stock on September 5, 2020.
Noel Streatfeild

389

Paperback
$7.99

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Pène du Bois (1916–1993) was an American writer and illustrator who is best remembered for his books for young readers. He was one of the founders of The Paris Review and illustrated books by Jules Verne, John Steinbeck, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Charlotte Zolotow, and others. He won the 1948 Newbery Medal for The Twenty-One Balloons and received two Caldecott Honors for his illustrations for Bear Party and Lion.

Product details

Lexile Measure : 1070
Grade Level : 3 - 7
Item Weight : 5.3 ounces
ISBN-10 : 0140320970
Paperback : 192 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0140320978
Product Dimensions : 5.13 x 0.48 x 7.75 inches
Publisher : Puffin Books (May 6, 1986)
Reading level : 8 - 12 years
Language: : English

Best-sellers rank #409,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#3,258 in Children's Classics
#9,400 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
#12,921 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
323 ratings

Start reading on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		14%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

drinking tea with mittens on

three or four stars

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

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.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

SpringClean Cleanse

Kids Love It!

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2013

Verified Purchase

I learned about this book through my children's school. It sounded fun so we ordered it right away. It came quickly and the story is creative and imaginative.

The story is about a teacher who decided to get away from it all so took a balloon ride. After a crash landing on a fantastical island, he embarks on an adventure where he meets locals who are able to use their time creating imaginative inventions and their own games. There are already detailed descriptions in the other reviews so I'll just end by saying my children loved it - ages 10, 14 and even the 16 year old.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Jeff R. Clow

Adventure for ALL ages

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

I read this as a youth...gave it to my kids when they started reading books ... and now have given it to my grandchildren. I think it’s one of the BEST books ever written for all ages.

Brilliant concept ...outstanding writing and excellent illustrations - and a sense of adventure throughout. If you are considering buying this book for yourself or others - don’t hesitate to do so.

Most highly recommended!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

MICHELLE CAPOLINO

I read this book as a child and loved it then

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

I read this book as a child and loved it then. Looking forward to rereading it as an adult. It was the first time I had heard of Krakatoa and led me to explore further. My only disappointment in the book is that the graphics/drawings seem very dark, not as crisp as I remember then. Kate Seredy's books are the same. I don't know if I'm just not remembering them correctly or if the printers need to do some editing and make them as vivid as I remember.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

theboombody

The Gourmet Government

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2008

Verified Purchase

The idea of working 1 day on and 19 days off instantly appealed to me, and this is the structure of the Gourmet Government featured in this wonderful book.

Yes, the leisurely form of government is one of my favorite "practical" ideas ever, but the story also ties together several other interesting things: volcanic explosions, tons of balloons, diamonds galore, Presidential trains, electric rooms and what-not. Even though the introduction tells you the outcome of the story, you still have no idea what's going to happen next. To me, this is the true characteristic of what makes a good novel. You want to read it, even though you already know how it's going to end.

Some Newbery winners I love and some I can't stand. Take a guess as to my opinion of this particular one. There are some parts that I would consider slow, but the emphasis on the importance of leisure actually heightens the slow-moving experience. All in all, the Twenty-One Balloons is definitly worthty of respect and preservation, and I'm glad I was able to make room in my life to experience the fine literary and artistic craftsmanship of William Pene Du Bois.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Chad

Interesting from page 1

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

Loved this story it was intriguing from the beginning to end. It was well written with detail that it was easy to create beautiful pictures in my head as I read.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Rosamaria Bonesse

Good book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book was not only an event filled roller coaster but a book that makes you feel like you are experiencing the story. I love this book, and the cover is not only simple but is easy to recognize. Would recommend for any middle school reader or adult that just wants a nice story for a snowy day.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

LHD

A charming story for children and adults

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

World travel, balloon adventures, untold riches, volcanic explosions! What's not to love about this story? I'd first read it as a child and found it fascinating. I was thrilled to re-read it as an adult and find the book is still utterly charming.

Helpful

Comment

Top international reviews

Translate all reviews to English

S. malik

It good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is nice and exciting it’s about professor Sherman and his balloons and after a hawk busts ballon busts,he lands in the wrong place.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Lucy Vernon

Great for the imagination

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

A classic children's book! Great for the imagination, stemming art activities, science crafts, etc.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Les

Wow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

My Favourite Book To Date!!!

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

gemma lee

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

A great book! Couldnt stop reading once i started.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

jane b

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

lovely book

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

John H

Great book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

Loved it as a kid and I'm glad I found it again!

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Emma carpenter

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent read

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Govind

A book from my youth that appeals to children of today.

Reviewed in Canada on July 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

I must have read this as a child (over and over) just after it was published. I remembered it recently when I was thinking back to why I so enjoy finding ingenious answers to practical problems. So I bought another copy for myself (in my seventies) and sent one the 7-year-old grandson of a friend. I re-acquainted myself with hydraulic furniture while he is now deep into fake curly moustaches and tying paper baskets to supermarket balloons. For me this book was a solitary pleasure, but my friend finds it a wonderful "read-together" (and enact together) experience.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Lava1964

The Twenty-One Balloons is a Forgotten Classic

Reviewed in Canada on August 13, 2011

Verified Purchase

I was introduced to this terrific work of junior fiction in the fifth grade. It was probably my favorite novel during my elementary school years. Rereading it 36 years later, it was still enjoyable, although the plot development now seems rather rushed to these mature eyes. Still, I highly recommend it.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Very good

Reviewed in India on October 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

Very good

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Cliente Amazon

Good

Reviewed in Italy on July 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

I made a request for two books. The books received in good condition and reasonable paper quality and suitable time

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Sand

Five Stars

Reviewed in India on January 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

good book. my kids have enjoyed it.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Monika

Twenty-One Balloons

Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

Super Buch zum Vorlesen für Kl. 4, Kl. 5 Gym.; spannend und informativ zugleich, Wortschatz nicht zu schwierig, nette Geschichte

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Translate review to English

Andy

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great service and book

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

You've read the top international reviews

See all reviews from the United States

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Rhoda Blumberg

27

Paperback
$6.50
Only 9 left in stock - order soon.
X. J. Kennedy

26

Paperback
$13.11
Jill Hauser

29

Paperback
11 offers from $43.00
James M. McPherson

31

Hardcover
$23.40
Only 10 left in stock - order soon.
Karen Cushman

25

Paperback
$7.99
Only 15 left in stock (more on the way).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

269

Paperback
$6.99

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: Best nets for balloons

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

The Twenty-One Balloons Paperback – May 6, 1986

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Customer reviews

Customer images

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top international reviews

Customers who bought this item also bought

Buy new: $7.99

Buy used: $5.06

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

The Twenty-One Balloons Paperback – May 6, 1986

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Customer reviews

Customer images

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top international reviews

You've read the top international reviews

Customers who bought this item also bought

Buy new:

$7.99

Buy used:

$5.06