The Twenty-One Balloons

Professor William Waterman Sherman, a retired teacher weary of the world, sets out to cross the Pacific Ocean alone in a giant balloon. Weeks later he is found floating in the sea far from where he should be, and he tells his astonishing story to an eager audience. A seagull punctured his balloon and forced him down on the volcanic island of Krakatoa, where he discovered twenty families living in secret luxury on the riches of a diamond mine, surrounded by clever inventions and following an unusual way of organizing their lives. William Pène du Bois's playful adventure, illustrated with his own drawings, mixes tall tale, invention and gentle satire. It won the Newbery Medal.