Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride
By Marjorie Priceman
The Story
In 1783 France, a wildly ambitious crowd readies the very first hot-air balloon flight — except the passengers turn out to be a duck, a rooster, and a sheep, not people.
Why It's Special
For the kid who's obsessed with firsts and inventions, this turns a real (mostly) historical moment into a gloriously silly countdown to liftoff.
- Big idea: Big leaps forward often start with a little bit of guesswork, nerve, and a willingness to laugh at how strange new ideas can look.
- Vibes: Playful, breathless, and giddy with the thrill of watching history almost go wrong.
Perfect For Kids Who
- enjoy true stories with a silly twist
- are curious about inventions and how things get built
- like to predict what happens next in a story
- respond well to pictures full of movement and detail
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & prediction: Who do you think the crowd expected to see fly away in the balloon?
- Imagination: Why do you think a duck, a rooster, and a sheep ended up as the passengers instead of people?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever watched grown-ups try something brand new that nobody had ever done before?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think the animals felt riding up into the sky in a basket?
- Curiosity: If you could ask the real balloon-makers from 1783 one question, what would you ask?
