Up and Away!: How Two Brothers Invented the Hot-Air Balloon

Henry details the activities of two brothers, Joseph-Michael and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, inventors of the hot-air balloon. Describing Joseph as dreamy, the author imagines that he noticed the lifting properties of hot air while gazing into a fireplace, inspiring the balloon that his practical brother Étienne helped him to build. Henry describes their early attempts (involving a small taffeta box held over a flame), larger trials (entailing a cloth bag suspended over an open fire), and a public demonstration for King Louis XVI of France that carried aloft a rooster, a duck, and a sheep. Henry's lush, digital artwork depicts the splendors of eighteenth-century France, particularly those found in the clothing, architecture, and household furnishings. The style is mostly realistic, with somewhat exaggerated facial features for the three animals, who appear in most spreads, following the story's every action. Concluded with an author's note, further reading, and an extensive time line of the history of flight (up to the present), this makes a good addition to units on aviation and inventors.

The illustrations, rendered digitally, use a slightly dusty color palette that combines with such design elements as ornate golden frames in closing text boxes to nicely evoke the setting and era (all humans depicted are white). Backmatter includes a bibliography, list of further reading, and timeline of flight. . . . it will . . . sweep readers away.

A delightful nonfiction picture book that relays the interesting history of the hot-air balloon in France in the late 1700s. The Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Étienne, had unique talents. Joseph was a reader, dreamer, and inventor who longed to create new things, while Étienne successfully managed the family's paper-making factory. Together they experimented with heat and types of paper materials to create the world's first flying machine, the hot-air balloon. Through trial and error, the brothers embark upon creating a presentation of their invention to King Louis XVI at the Palace of Versailles. In order to illustrate the balloon's potential to transport people in the future, the passengers on the first public hot-air balloon flight were three animals: a duck, a sheep, and a rooster. This engaging story of two French brothers will entertain a wide range of children, as the story line is clear and the accompanying colorful illustrations provide younger readers with visual guides to the plot. VERDICT This book would be a great read-aloud for early grades--and an easy addition to nonfiction collections. - School Library Journal Online

What a beautiful and elegant book for any kid (or kid at heart) who loves history. UP AND AWAY is truly special—treat yourself right now. —Brad Meltzer, author of the Ordinary People Change the World series