What do you think?
Rate this book
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride
The first "manned" hot-air balloon is about to take off! But what are those noises coming from the basket?
Based on the (POSSIBLY) true report of a day in 1783, this is the story of (PERHAPS) the bravest collection of flyers the world has ever seen, as (SORT OF) told to Marjorie Priceman.
Based on the (POSSIBLY) true report of a day in 1783, this is the story of (PERHAPS) the bravest collection of flyers the world has ever seen, as (SORT OF) told to Marjorie Priceman.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2005
13 people are currently reading
1401 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Priceman
49 books22 followersMarjorie A. Priceman is an American writer or illustrator of more than 30 children's picture books including two Caldecott Honor Books (runners-up for the Caldecott Medal). Her first picture book, Friend or Frog, was published in 1989, soon after her graduation from the Rhode Island School of Design.[citation needed] Priceman's books are known for their bright watercolors, free-flowing lines and whimsical spirit. Her illustrations to When Zaydeh Danced on Eldridge Street (1997) by Elsa Okon Rael have been described as "religiously authentic and playful at the same time".
One of her most popular books is Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, which she illustrated. She lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
One of her most popular books is Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, which she illustrated. She lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
August 5, 2019
I thought this story was hilarious. It is a mix of fact and fiction. They really did send a duck, a sheep and a rooster up in a balloon the first time. This was a huge deal as everyone of importance was in attendance. The part where the animals are over the city is all wordless and I was amused by it. The balloon lands and the words flow again and that is also historical record. The animals survive the trip nicely. The last page is some history about how this happened. I love the blend of fact and fiction.
The nephew loved the middle part. He laughed at the duck. Silly things happen. He wanted the balloon to land in a lake and let the animals swim. He gave this 4 stars. The niece thought it started out interesting. She did laugh with her brother in the middle. She thought this was an ok story. She gave it 3 stars.
The nephew loved the middle part. He laughed at the duck. Silly things happen. He wanted the balloon to land in a lake and let the animals swim. He gave this 4 stars. The niece thought it started out interesting. She did laugh with her brother in the middle. She thought this was an ok story. She gave it 3 stars.
January 23, 2009
So not what I was hoping for! Maybe this would amuse very small children--but I found it too sparse. The majority of the book is only a pictorial representation of the flight of the barnyard animals in the balloon. It's such a cute idea, though--I just think the historical aspect will be lost on little kids.
August 16, 2012
What happened on the first hot air balloon ride? Well, no one really knows because the first passengers were a duck, sheep, and rooster. Marjorie Priceman gives some background about the first flight in France and then creates a nearly wordless story about the adventures of these three animals. They get tangled in laundry, fill their basket with water, and quack, baaa, and cock-a-doodle-doo their way safely to the ground. The end pages include details about the Montgolfier brothers' early balloon flights.
Recommended for elementary school collections. This is the kind of book that works with both older and younger readers, though, of course, in very different ways. It could be an interesting starting point for a creative writing piece. What would a bird think of the Wright Brothers' first flight? What did a mouse see while flying with Amelia Earhart?
Recommended for elementary school collections. This is the kind of book that works with both older and younger readers, though, of course, in very different ways. It could be an interesting starting point for a creative writing piece. What would a bird think of the Wright Brothers' first flight? What did a mouse see while flying with Amelia Earhart?
October 31, 2016
This book reminds me of the graphic novel genre in the way that there are few words, so the pictures carry the story. And I can see why this book won the Caldecott award because the expressions of the animals are so well done that this book didn't need any words to convey the storyline. Not to mention I thought the animal drawings were adorable.
This picture book has a deeper context, as it highlights a real historical event of the Montgolfier brothers' and their hot air balloons. I thought this story was an interesting way to teach students about the miracle that is the hot air balloon, and the storyline that went into its creation.
This picture book has a deeper context, as it highlights a real historical event of the Montgolfier brothers' and their hot air balloons. I thought this story was an interesting way to teach students about the miracle that is the hot air balloon, and the storyline that went into its creation.
June 30, 2016
Almost 200 years before rocket scientists were blasting monkeys, dogs and cats into space, two inventors wanted to test their "hot air balloon" idea out by seeing what would happened to a duck, a rooster and a sheep if placed in the basket of the first full sized hot air balloon and allowed to ascended to such untested heights.
This story focuses on the reactions of the animal to the unusual predicament they find themselves in. Light on text and heavy on hilarious illustrations using sight gags to show their emotions, little kids will definitely get a kick out of this.
May 6, 2017
I really liked the illustrations. However, some of the choices were a little strange in an attempt to add humor. Still, I'm sure kids would at least somewhat enjoy it and there are historical tidbits at the beginning and end if you want to teach a bit of history too. Might be fun to use in a lesson plan about mass or the history of air travel or something along those lines.
January 12, 2018
Illustrations in the flowing graphic style of 50's advertising illustrations tells the story of a bunch of animals who find themselves in the midst of high adventure.
April 20, 2019
My eldest daughter is a balloonist in the wilds of northeastern Nevada...so of course I loved this book. Who wouldn't?!
July 26, 2023
Half of the book is wordless. Kids enjoyed. Illustrations were average
September 16, 2024
This story is so much fun and the pictures are pretty.
October 2, 2014
As stated on the cover of book, this is “the (mostly) true story of the first hot air balloon ride" Many Important people have gathered at the beautiful palace of Versailles in France to witness this historic event but the story is not about that. This is the tale of the three brave individuals; a duck a, sheep and a rooster who have been given the honor of going on this adventure. On their journey across the skies of France they experience many exciting and frightening things but they endure it all and land safely. Back in Versailles a nice surprise awaits them.
It is no wonder this book won the Caldecott award, the writing is both witty and informative. The author does a great job at combining fiction and non-fiction into a story, making it wacky and fun while at the same time teaching children about an important event, people and places. This type of book is a great way to introduce non-fiction and history to young children. This postmodern picture book starts of by addressing the reader directly however as the story progresses and you get to the part where the only characters shown are the three animals it changes into a semi wordless picture book with only the use of onomatopoeia to indicate the unique sounds they each make in certain situations as well as some of the sounds of their surroundings.
The illustrations are colorful, detailed and child friendly you can vividly see the expressions on each of the animal’s faces and know exactly what they are thinking. Something else I like is that the perspective of the drawings change on every page, some show a sequence of events and the next one will show the entire picture/situation or a more detailed drawing of the animals when something important happens. I legitimately enjoyed reading this book I especially liked the combination of genres and that the author again addresses the reader at the end and asks children to think critically about what was fact and what was fiction.
It is no wonder this book won the Caldecott award, the writing is both witty and informative. The author does a great job at combining fiction and non-fiction into a story, making it wacky and fun while at the same time teaching children about an important event, people and places. This type of book is a great way to introduce non-fiction and history to young children. This postmodern picture book starts of by addressing the reader directly however as the story progresses and you get to the part where the only characters shown are the three animals it changes into a semi wordless picture book with only the use of onomatopoeia to indicate the unique sounds they each make in certain situations as well as some of the sounds of their surroundings.
The illustrations are colorful, detailed and child friendly you can vividly see the expressions on each of the animal’s faces and know exactly what they are thinking. Something else I like is that the perspective of the drawings change on every page, some show a sequence of events and the next one will show the entire picture/situation or a more detailed drawing of the animals when something important happens. I legitimately enjoyed reading this book I especially liked the combination of genres and that the author again addresses the reader at the end and asks children to think critically about what was fact and what was fiction.
May 12, 2019
Hot Air is a 2006 Caldecott honor book. It goes through the story of the first animals to go up in a hot air balloon.
I thought the illustrator did a wonderful job with the illustrations. They really allow us to see what is happening within the story and how the animals feel in the balloon. The pages that were broken up into panels also reminded me of a graphic novel and it served as a great way to show actions that occur within a short period of time. Although the illustrations were great I thought this story was missing some things. Finding it in the historical stories section of the picture books at the library I went to I was surprised to find that there was not as much history in the actual pages of the story as I had hoped there would be. In addition to that, I wasn't fully sure what the theme of this text was. To me, it seemed like a lot of unexpected things occurred while the animals were in the balloon. From that, I would say the theme is that things don't always go the way you planned. This is a diverse theme, but I find the animals riding a balloon to be very hard to connect to real-world ideas.
I would use this book with lower elementary grade students. It is a fun story that can be used to spark students creativity. With a text like this, I would use it more so as an example of how students can be creative when they tell a story. I think it would be fun to have the students each pick an event that occurred in history (ex. the first moon landing, the invention of the light bulb) and then expand it by adding their own ideas of what they thought was going on during that event.
I thought the illustrator did a wonderful job with the illustrations. They really allow us to see what is happening within the story and how the animals feel in the balloon. The pages that were broken up into panels also reminded me of a graphic novel and it served as a great way to show actions that occur within a short period of time. Although the illustrations were great I thought this story was missing some things. Finding it in the historical stories section of the picture books at the library I went to I was surprised to find that there was not as much history in the actual pages of the story as I had hoped there would be. In addition to that, I wasn't fully sure what the theme of this text was. To me, it seemed like a lot of unexpected things occurred while the animals were in the balloon. From that, I would say the theme is that things don't always go the way you planned. This is a diverse theme, but I find the animals riding a balloon to be very hard to connect to real-world ideas.
I would use this book with lower elementary grade students. It is a fun story that can be used to spark students creativity. With a text like this, I would use it more so as an example of how students can be creative when they tell a story. I think it would be fun to have the students each pick an event that occurred in history (ex. the first moon landing, the invention of the light bulb) and then expand it by adding their own ideas of what they thought was going on during that event.
September 26, 2018
"Hot Air" by Marjorie Priceman is (mostly) true story about the first hot-air balloon ride, with a duck, rooster, and sheep as its first riders. The story starts off by showing the reader the setting of where and when this took place at the Palace of Versailles in France, 1783. It talks about who attended and then sets the hot air balloon filled with three animals into the sky. The rest of the story is illustrations of the animal's journey in the hot air balloon through the sky. I was not overly impressed by the storyline, but I think the illustrations make this story much more interesting. The colorful and hilarious illustrations would be very exciting for children to look at. I do, however, like that this book gives a historical background about the hot air balloon. I love when stories can be both fun and informational for students. I think this would be a great way to teach students a little about hot-air balloons while they can enjoy the illustrations.
I would probably use this book with younger children because the focus is more on the illustrations and not the actual content. I would use this for kindergarten through second grade. I think students would enjoy looking at the illustrations and following the journey of the animals through the sky. However, I think they might be a little uninterested as far as the text goes.
I would probably use this book with younger children because the focus is more on the illustrations and not the actual content. I would use this for kindergarten through second grade. I think students would enjoy looking at the illustrations and following the journey of the animals through the sky. However, I think they might be a little uninterested as far as the text goes.
August 15, 2018
The book tells the story of the first hot-air balloon ride in September of 1783. The story includes many facts, such as Benjamin Franklin was in attendance, the king and queen of France were there as well as many regular French citizens. The story even correctly identifies the three occupants of the basket: a duck, a sheep and a rooster. The story takes a fantastical turn when we begin to see the events from the perspective of the animals. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and the book is a Caldecott Honor book. They draw you into the story and make the adventures of the animals that much more exciting and fun. I really like that at the end of the book there is a full spread about the facts surrounding the invention of the hot-air balloon.
I could see using this book in a science lesson to discuss how the hot-air balloon worked - hot air rises. I could also see using this as the starting point for a creative writing assignment, having the students write about the experience of being in that first hot-air balloon from the perspective of the animals. What were they thinking? Were they scared? Were they excited? This could easily be extended into so many other lessons and subjects.
I could see using this book in a science lesson to discuss how the hot-air balloon worked - hot air rises. I could also see using this as the starting point for a creative writing assignment, having the students write about the experience of being in that first hot-air balloon from the perspective of the animals. What were they thinking? Were they scared? Were they excited? This could easily be extended into so many other lessons and subjects.
November 21, 2016
• The story of the first hot air balloon flight is much more interesting than expected. The first passengers aboard this exciting new mode of transportation were braver than most men. This colorful masterpiece by Marjorie Priceman deserved the Caldecott honor it received in 2006.
• Pre-k – 2nd grade
• I would use this in a history, science class or in an English class.
• Individual students that may enjoy this book include students that are interested in inventions, adventures or animals.
• I would use this in a group setting during a history class during a unit about inventions and their significance in history.
• After reading the book as a class, students will invent a new flying machine that can transport humans from one place to another. Students will use the scientific method to invent their flying machines.
• Other books like this include: Who says Women can’t be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
• This book is a Caldecott honor book and is available as a paper back, hardback or ebook.
• Pre-k – 2nd grade
• I would use this in a history, science class or in an English class.
• Individual students that may enjoy this book include students that are interested in inventions, adventures or animals.
• I would use this in a group setting during a history class during a unit about inventions and their significance in history.
• After reading the book as a class, students will invent a new flying machine that can transport humans from one place to another. Students will use the scientific method to invent their flying machines.
• Other books like this include: Who says Women can’t be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
• This book is a Caldecott honor book and is available as a paper back, hardback or ebook.
March 23, 2018
Fabulous! This was an incredibly fun read - just the right amounts of history, sarcasm and creativity to make you love this book. And the illustrations are purely eye-catching. You and your children will relish each page!
Ages: 4 - 8
#history #inventions #geography #europe #france
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 4 - 8
#history #inventions #geography #europe #france
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
December 27, 2017
Many of the pages of this book are wordless, but there's a lot of context for the story up front and then a closing, so I don't think it can be accurately described as wordless.
It's about the Montgolfier balloon ascent at Versailles where some animals were sent in the balloon. This book imagines what happened. It's pretty silly in a fun way.
I'd say the pages with words are the True part and the wordless pages are the imaginative part.
It's a cool book, but I don't imagine it being re-read lots.
It's about the Montgolfier balloon ascent at Versailles where some animals were sent in the balloon. This book imagines what happened. It's pretty silly in a fun way.
I'd say the pages with words are the True part and the wordless pages are the imaginative part.
It's a cool book, but I don't imagine it being re-read lots.
January 25, 2016
I thought this was a very cute book. On the back page and back inside cover there was lots of historical information about hot air balloons to help give you more insight about the feat that hot air balloons are. And the fact that the three main characters are animals and act like animals {there is no personification or talking animals} it lets the reader imagine what the animals\characters are feeling.
October 12, 2017
A very cute story. I love the perspective from barn yard animals and the ending clearing up the true and untrue parts of the story. The illustrations are amazing and the award is well deserved! I also love the in the beginning of the story the author really has the reader understand the setting and where this is taking place. You know what kind of people are standing around and where in the world you are. very cleaver
Grade level:k-2
Genre: Historical fiction
Grade level:k-2
Genre: Historical fiction
June 1, 2017
Not a great book for animal lovers. Really? Were the animals brave? Or were they forced up there? Reminds me of the regret that some scientists had after sending a "sweet dog" into orbit. It's not the fault of the author or illustrator, but I'd discuss the truth about our use of animals at the very least.
September 5, 2018
At first I thought “oh no, this is going to be a book with to many words and won’t hold my children’s attention”, then it turn into only a couple of words per page. The boys (3&5) had fun guessing what could happen next. I felt a little disappointment close to the end, but then the last page made up for it for. Also a fun time line in the back pages.
October 20, 2016
An unorthodox approach to nonfiction. The story starts and ends with facts about the first balloon flight. The middle is a nearly wordless cartoon/comic fictional account featuring the rooster, the sheep, and the duck which flew that day. Cute.
December 3, 2016
Great little picture book! Listened to a podcast on What You Missed In History Class all about this. So fun to share it with my kids!
September 25, 2017
This is a wonderfully charming book. It teaches about the first Hot Air balloon ride. The book is beautifully illustrated and at the end there is a timeline of the real first hot-air balloon ride.
May 22, 2018
Funny story about the first hot-air balloon ride. Told from the perspective of the animals who rode inside.
September 23, 2019
Genre: Picture book-Caldecott Honor book
Awards: Caldecott Honor award
Audience: grades Pre-K through 1st
A) This book fits the Caldecott Honor book category because it was awarded the Caldecott Honor medal in 2006. The bright colors and intricate, detailed pictures give insight into what the palace of Versaille relatively looked like at the time of the first "manned" hot air balloon launch on September 19, 1783 and some of the people that were there to witness it, such as King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The illustrator uses various artistic elements to re-tell the story and help the readers visually see what the animals, who manned the hot air balloon, saw.
B) The illustrator uses space and perspective impeccably to show the hot air balloon in various states. For example, at the beginning, she draws the air balloon in four different stages as it ascends into the air. The people below seem to get smaller and smaller, as if you are seeing them from the animals' point of view. Then, as the hot air balloon reaches it's peak, the palace can be seen in a smaller scale down below. You can then see a river down below and a small town, people on rooftops watching the hot air balloon pass, the steeple of the church, and finally the hot air balloon descending back to the ground. By drawing different items in various scales, like the air balloon larger and everything below smaller, it's as if the reader is in the hot air balloon seeing these sights with the animals. It feels as if, for example, you are in an air plane descending and everything below becomes bigger the closer to the ground you get. I think it's incredible that the illustrator was able to depict this through 2-D illustrations.
C) I would use this book with whole group instruction to focus on the details of the images. Throughout the book, there are less and less words on the page and the illustrations tell the story instead. When looking through the illustrations, it's so cool to look down at all of the people and houses and animals below. Everything is depicted with such detail even though it is so small and just goes to show how talented the illustrator is. I would use this for whole group instruction rather than just one-on-one or small group because there are so many details that children may not catch which I would want to point out.
D) Question: What animals were in the hot air balloon?
Answer: A duck, a sheep, and a rooster.
Awards: Caldecott Honor award
Audience: grades Pre-K through 1st
A) This book fits the Caldecott Honor book category because it was awarded the Caldecott Honor medal in 2006. The bright colors and intricate, detailed pictures give insight into what the palace of Versaille relatively looked like at the time of the first "manned" hot air balloon launch on September 19, 1783 and some of the people that were there to witness it, such as King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The illustrator uses various artistic elements to re-tell the story and help the readers visually see what the animals, who manned the hot air balloon, saw.
B) The illustrator uses space and perspective impeccably to show the hot air balloon in various states. For example, at the beginning, she draws the air balloon in four different stages as it ascends into the air. The people below seem to get smaller and smaller, as if you are seeing them from the animals' point of view. Then, as the hot air balloon reaches it's peak, the palace can be seen in a smaller scale down below. You can then see a river down below and a small town, people on rooftops watching the hot air balloon pass, the steeple of the church, and finally the hot air balloon descending back to the ground. By drawing different items in various scales, like the air balloon larger and everything below smaller, it's as if the reader is in the hot air balloon seeing these sights with the animals. It feels as if, for example, you are in an air plane descending and everything below becomes bigger the closer to the ground you get. I think it's incredible that the illustrator was able to depict this through 2-D illustrations.
C) I would use this book with whole group instruction to focus on the details of the images. Throughout the book, there are less and less words on the page and the illustrations tell the story instead. When looking through the illustrations, it's so cool to look down at all of the people and houses and animals below. Everything is depicted with such detail even though it is so small and just goes to show how talented the illustrator is. I would use this for whole group instruction rather than just one-on-one or small group because there are so many details that children may not catch which I would want to point out.
D) Question: What animals were in the hot air balloon?
Answer: A duck, a sheep, and a rooster.
October 27, 2021
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride by Marjorie Priceman is a cute and educational story. It is the perfect mix of fiction and fact elements. The author gives a preview of the time and place where the first hot air balloon was lifted. She then switches and allows the story to be told from the animal passengers point of view in the sky.
The book uses several bright, colorful pictures to help tell the story more than words which makes it more attractable for young kids. Priceman uses real facts of dates, people, location, and animals to educate the reader. While giving the animals human-like characteristics to tell the story from what was happening in the hot air balloon. Giving human-like characteristics to animals is a creative way to make the story more attention grabbing. She also creates a wordless story of what happens inside the basket with the animals using imagination. The ending was somewhat scattered with all of the scenarios that the animals were in in the basket of the balloon. I enjoyed the story though and even learned that the first hot air balloon had three animals riding in it instead of people.
The book uses several bright, colorful pictures to help tell the story more than words which makes it more attractable for young kids. Priceman uses real facts of dates, people, location, and animals to educate the reader. While giving the animals human-like characteristics to tell the story from what was happening in the hot air balloon. Giving human-like characteristics to animals is a creative way to make the story more attention grabbing. She also creates a wordless story of what happens inside the basket with the animals using imagination. The ending was somewhat scattered with all of the scenarios that the animals were in in the basket of the balloon. I enjoyed the story though and even learned that the first hot air balloon had three animals riding in it instead of people.
February 28, 2023
This story of the first hot-air balloon written by Marjorie Priceman, is a historical fiction story about the first hot-air balloon ride. The book follows the story of two inventors, Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier, as they seek to create a new form of air transportation. They use the world’s first hot-air balloon to achieve their goal, and their journey is full of unexpected adventures and discoveries. As they struggle to stay afloat, they must overcome several obstacles and dangers, but in the end, they complete their mission and make history. The book is thrilling, with plenty of excitement and intrigue, and will surely captivate young and old alike. The main characters in this book are animals, making it an easy read, and a good laugh for children. While they do overcome obstacles and this book is based on a true story it is told in a way that a child can understand but also find entertaining. I personally didn't enjoy reading this book, I found it boring although it is a great story I am not a big history person.
March 4, 2021
What a wild ride you are about to be taken on! This very (real) story shows readers the very very first hot air balloon flight ever - and there happens to be an animal twist! You might get some weird sights and sounds as this story is told from a duck, chicken, and sheep! This children's historical fiction book is written back when kings and queens ruled the land and famous statues were rising up all over the town -something the animals will tell you about! They see characters and people small below as they float high above. What a wonderful ride this is - until a little friend in the sky puts a "hole" in their hot air balloon ride! Pick up this book when you have a chance to find out how the animals float ends! A history filled comedy that all teachers and students should have in their library!
I love this book and just read this to my pre-k students for the transportation unit we were doing. We were learning about all different types of ways to get around and this book brought a dual purpose! The students were captivated by the silly illustrations and sound words but they also (unknowingly) got a small history lesson that I tied into a project we did later on. Students had to pick a section of the book they would illustrate - making sure they draw all the aspects of the pages they chose. This book does get four stars because it is perfect for introducing multiple topics, but could be confusing to students. Is this a silly book -about animals riding in a hot air balloon - or more of a history lesson based on the characters this book shows in the audiences below?!
I love this book and just read this to my pre-k students for the transportation unit we were doing. We were learning about all different types of ways to get around and this book brought a dual purpose! The students were captivated by the silly illustrations and sound words but they also (unknowingly) got a small history lesson that I tied into a project we did later on. Students had to pick a section of the book they would illustrate - making sure they draw all the aspects of the pages they chose. This book does get four stars because it is perfect for introducing multiple topics, but could be confusing to students. Is this a silly book -about animals riding in a hot air balloon - or more of a history lesson based on the characters this book shows in the audiences below?!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews