I'm particularly amused by the funny depictions of faces/teeth, and by the ingenious solution to avoid crash landing. ( )

Dr. Jeffries and Monsieur Blanchard wanted to be the first to fly a balloon from one country to another. They argue before taking off, but lift off and are going through the sky. Then, the balloon has problems and starts falling, so they throw everything overboard including their clothes. They even go to the bathroom to lose more weight. They land in a tree and step out of the balloon together to save the embarrassment. ( )

In this fictionalized work of picture-book history, author Matthew Olshan and illustrator Sophie Blackall, who previously teamed up on The Mighty Lalouche, explore the first international flight in human history. Following upon the first manned balloon flight in 1783, Englishman Dr. John Jeffries and Frenchman Mons. Jean-Pierre Blanchard set out in a balloon on January 7th, 1785, hoping to cross the English Channel. Their journey is not without incident, and the pair, none-too-friendly to begin with, find that they must work together if they are to survive. Jettisoning everything they can, they eventually find they must take drastic (and humorous!) action if they are to stay afloat...

I had the pleasure of seeing illustrator Sophie Blackall read A Voyage in the Clouds aloud to a group of grade-school children, and can attest to the fact that young readers and listeners appreciate the humor of the strategy that Jeffries and Blanchard must employ to keep afloat. The fact that they must urinate over the side of the basket is made all the more amusing for being true, something the afterword confirms. For my part, I also enjoyed the humor in the often snarky back-and-forth exchanges between the doctor and his French pilot, and thought that the watercolor artwork - as is to be expected in a book from Sophie Blackall - was absolutely gorgeous! Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories that are both informative and entertaining, or who enjoy tales of aviation pioneers. ( )