OLSHAN, Matthew. A Voyage in the Clouds: The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785. illus. by Sophie Blackall. 40p. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson Bks. Oct. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780374329549.

K-Gr 3 –One remarkable milestone on the path to flight was the first manned balloon trip, which occurred in 1783. Up to that point, no one had accomplished a trip between countries, so Dr. John Jeffries (English) and Jean-Pierre Blanchard (French) decided to be the first. Jeffries and Blanchard allowed their competitive spirit to come between them until the trip had a few precarious moments; once they faced possible disaster, they quickly began working as a team to successfully cross the English Channel into France. The illustrations vary from traditional to graphic novel–style at points, using panels and dialogue balloons. Olshan establishes suspense as the two encounter problems and danger during their voyage, and children will want to keep reading and learning more about this historic trip. An author’s note discusses the true details incorporated in the story and explains the creative license taken. VERDICT A delightful tale that will captivate elementary students with comedy, suspense, and beautiful illustrations.–April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

This review was published in the School Library Journal October 2016 issue.