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I Can Read: Level 3
The Big Balloon Race
Ariel almost causes her famous mother to lose a balloon race and then helps her to win it.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
12 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Coerr
34 books47 followersEleanor Coerr was born in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada, and grew up in Saskatoon. Two of her favorite childhood hobbies were reading and making up stories.
Her fascination with Japan began when she received a book called Little Pictures of Japan one Christmas. It showed children in beautiful kimonos playing games, chasing butterflies, and catching crickets. She pored over the colored illustrations, dreaming of one day joining those children in Japan. Her best friend in high school was a Japanese girl whose family introduced her to brush painting, eating with chopsticks, and origami. Eleanor's desire to visit that magical place never faded, and her well-thumbed copy of that favorite book is still in her library.
Eleanor began her professional life as a newspaper reporter and editor of a column for children. Luckily, she traveled to Japan in 1949 as a writer for the Ottawa Journal, since none of the other staff wanted to go to a country that had been devastated by war. To learn Japanese, Eleanor lived on a farm near Yonago for about one year, absorbing the culture and enjoying rural celebrations. Soon she was able to visit nearby schools and speak to young audiences about her country. Eleanor wrote and illustrated Circus Day in Japan, using the farm family and a visit to the circus as models. It was published in Tokyo in 1953.
Her most difficult trip while she was in Japan was to Hiroshima. Eleanor was shocked by the horrible destruction and death caused by one atom bomb. Of course, she did not know Sadako Sasaki at that time, although she was living there with her family. The misery and suffering Eleanor witnessed was burned into her mind, and she hoped future world leaders would avoid wars at all costs.
One beautiful day in 1963, Eleanor revisited Hiroshima and saw the statue of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park. Impressed by the stories she heard about Sadako's talent for running, courage when faced with cancer, and determination to fold one thousand paper cranes, Eleanor was inspired to find a copy of Kokeshi, Sadako's autobiography.
Eleanor looked everywhere she could think of and asked all of her Japanese friends to help. Since the school had copied the ninety-four pages and stapled them together, most of the books had fallen apart. Years passed, and Eleanor continued writing for newspapers in various countries and wrote more children's books. But she was always hoping to find Kokeshi.
One fateful afternoon, Eleanor was having tea with a missionary who had lived in Hiroshima all through the war.
"Eleanor," she said, "you should write a biography of Sadako Sasaki for American children to read."
"I would love to," said Eleanor, "but I must have Kokeshi to get all the true facts about Sadako."
The missionary took Eleanor to her attic. Lo and behold, at the bottom of an old trunk was an original copy of Kokeshi. Eleanor rushed to have it translated properly and began writing Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes as soon as she could.
"It's like magic. I was meant to write her story," Eleanor said.
Her fascination with Japan began when she received a book called Little Pictures of Japan one Christmas. It showed children in beautiful kimonos playing games, chasing butterflies, and catching crickets. She pored over the colored illustrations, dreaming of one day joining those children in Japan. Her best friend in high school was a Japanese girl whose family introduced her to brush painting, eating with chopsticks, and origami. Eleanor's desire to visit that magical place never faded, and her well-thumbed copy of that favorite book is still in her library.
Eleanor began her professional life as a newspaper reporter and editor of a column for children. Luckily, she traveled to Japan in 1949 as a writer for the Ottawa Journal, since none of the other staff wanted to go to a country that had been devastated by war. To learn Japanese, Eleanor lived on a farm near Yonago for about one year, absorbing the culture and enjoying rural celebrations. Soon she was able to visit nearby schools and speak to young audiences about her country. Eleanor wrote and illustrated Circus Day in Japan, using the farm family and a visit to the circus as models. It was published in Tokyo in 1953.
Her most difficult trip while she was in Japan was to Hiroshima. Eleanor was shocked by the horrible destruction and death caused by one atom bomb. Of course, she did not know Sadako Sasaki at that time, although she was living there with her family. The misery and suffering Eleanor witnessed was burned into her mind, and she hoped future world leaders would avoid wars at all costs.
One beautiful day in 1963, Eleanor revisited Hiroshima and saw the statue of Sadako in the Hiroshima Peace Park. Impressed by the stories she heard about Sadako's talent for running, courage when faced with cancer, and determination to fold one thousand paper cranes, Eleanor was inspired to find a copy of Kokeshi, Sadako's autobiography.
Eleanor looked everywhere she could think of and asked all of her Japanese friends to help. Since the school had copied the ninety-four pages and stapled them together, most of the books had fallen apart. Years passed, and Eleanor continued writing for newspapers in various countries and wrote more children's books. But she was always hoping to find Kokeshi.
One fateful afternoon, Eleanor was having tea with a missionary who had lived in Hiroshima all through the war.
"Eleanor," she said, "you should write a biography of Sadako Sasaki for American children to read."
"I would love to," said Eleanor, "but I must have Kokeshi to get all the true facts about Sadako."
The missionary took Eleanor to her attic. Lo and behold, at the bottom of an old trunk was an original copy of Kokeshi. Eleanor rushed to have it translated properly and began writing Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes as soon as she could.
"It's like magic. I was meant to write her story," Eleanor said.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 2, 2017
Ehhh... this is an "I Can Read" book, but I'm unsure of the level. My six year old clearly could not read it with words such as 'aeronaut' and 'Carlotta'. 61 pages is also a bit excessive and my child lost interest quickly. Perhaps this story is meant for a slightly older reader.
June 1, 2019
When I was little, my parents used to buy me and my sisters a couple of books from the “I Can Read” book series. We have quite a lot of books from this series and one of the books that we had owned for a long time was “The Big Balloon Race” by Eleanor Coerr along with artwork by Carolyn Croll. This is definitely a book you should read if you are a huge fan of aeronauts!
The story starts off with Ariel begging her mother Carlotta the Great to go into the balloon race with her. But Carlotta the Great thinks that Ariel is too young to be in the race and tells Ariel that as soon as they get to the race, she should stay in the Odds and Ends box until it was time for the race to begin. When the Myers family finally made it to the balloon race, there was a huge celebration for the competing balloonists, which was between Bernard the Brave and Carlotta the Great herself. Ariel then slept in the Odds and Ends box until the mayor’s speech was over. But Ariel accidentally overslept and Carlotta the Great ended up going into her balloon and taking off with Ariel inside the basket. When Ariel finally woke up, she noticed that she was now in the air with her mother and now she has to help her mother win the race against Bernard the Brave!
Wow! I was quite impressed with this book! Eleanor Coerr did a fantastic job at writing this book as the book is full of excitement and wonder as we get to see how the balloon races were set up during the 1880s! I enjoyed seeing the excitement that the protagonists have for the balloon race and I loved the fact that they gave it their all in competing in the races. I especially loved the way that Eleanor Coerr wrote both Carlotta the Great and Ariel as they were the most intriguing characters in the book. I loved the fact that Carlotta the Great was a strong female protagonist who kept her cool throughout the entire race and even tried to protect Ariel throughout the race. I also loved the fact that Ariel was so determined to be in the race and when she finally got into the race, she may have panicked at some moments, but she eventually got herself together when the situation got tough. Carolyn Croll’s artwork is adorable and creative to look at as all the characters have nice rounded faces and I enjoyed seeing all of the different types of balloons that were used in the race.
Overall, “The Big Balloon Race” is a truly joyous read for anyone who loves reading books about balloon races and want to know what aeronauts are. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since some small children might not understand what the term “aeronaut” means, unless it was explained to them by a parent or a teacher.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
The story starts off with Ariel begging her mother Carlotta the Great to go into the balloon race with her. But Carlotta the Great thinks that Ariel is too young to be in the race and tells Ariel that as soon as they get to the race, she should stay in the Odds and Ends box until it was time for the race to begin. When the Myers family finally made it to the balloon race, there was a huge celebration for the competing balloonists, which was between Bernard the Brave and Carlotta the Great herself. Ariel then slept in the Odds and Ends box until the mayor’s speech was over. But Ariel accidentally overslept and Carlotta the Great ended up going into her balloon and taking off with Ariel inside the basket. When Ariel finally woke up, she noticed that she was now in the air with her mother and now she has to help her mother win the race against Bernard the Brave!
Wow! I was quite impressed with this book! Eleanor Coerr did a fantastic job at writing this book as the book is full of excitement and wonder as we get to see how the balloon races were set up during the 1880s! I enjoyed seeing the excitement that the protagonists have for the balloon race and I loved the fact that they gave it their all in competing in the races. I especially loved the way that Eleanor Coerr wrote both Carlotta the Great and Ariel as they were the most intriguing characters in the book. I loved the fact that Carlotta the Great was a strong female protagonist who kept her cool throughout the entire race and even tried to protect Ariel throughout the race. I also loved the fact that Ariel was so determined to be in the race and when she finally got into the race, she may have panicked at some moments, but she eventually got herself together when the situation got tough. Carolyn Croll’s artwork is adorable and creative to look at as all the characters have nice rounded faces and I enjoyed seeing all of the different types of balloons that were used in the race.
Overall, “The Big Balloon Race” is a truly joyous read for anyone who loves reading books about balloon races and want to know what aeronauts are. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since some small children might not understand what the term “aeronaut” means, unless it was explained to them by a parent or a teacher.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
November 2, 2012
in this book of the big balloon race it was not so great. Carlotta and Ariel were flying in the air with the balloon. My favorite part in this book is when Carlotta and Ariel were working together. They were a really great team together.
May 17, 2010
A nice historical children's story about a time when hot air balloon races were a popular event.
November 27, 2020
Based on the true story of a a girl who accidentally ends up helping her mother fly a hot air balloon in a a race in the 1880s.
This is a beginning reader book. Great for classroom library of 1st through 3rd grade. Could also be read aloud and used in a discussion of someone pushing the boundaries on societal norms (a female racing a hot air balloon in 1880s).
This is a beginning reader book. Great for classroom library of 1st through 3rd grade. Could also be read aloud and used in a discussion of someone pushing the boundaries on societal norms (a female racing a hot air balloon in 1880s).
March 2, 2022
This was a story about great aeronaut, Carlotta Myers, who was married to inventor/balloon maker, Carl Myers. Carlotta competed in a hot-air hydrogen balloon race along with her daughter, Ariel. Balloon races were popular events in America during the 1880s. The balloons had names like "Lucky Star" and "Flying Cloud". When Ariel grew up, she became a balloonist, just like her mother.
February 15, 2019
It was a interesting book. Because it was a true story. It was about a girl that sneeked in to her mothers ballon basket, just before a big race.
It was some hard words but still kind of easy to read. 🥳
It was some hard words but still kind of easy to read. 🥳
October 9, 2022
My 3yo daughter selected this book herself after returning home from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. I think because of the relevance she was intrigued and excited to follow the mother-daughter duo to the finish while we waited on breakfast this morning.
November 13, 2024
My library has a print copy of this. I love that, even though it's a reader, some of the words are very advanced. And it's such an exciting story, I'm not surprised it's a Reading Rainbow book or that it's still in print.
July 15, 2018
Cute three chapter easy reader. About a balloon race in the late 1800's. Based on a true story.
January 26, 2019
En klassiker, som jeg husker fra min barndom, og som min søn og niece også elsker☺
September 29, 2019
Enjoyed reading about what hot air balloon races may have felt like long ago. Liked that it was based on an actual family.
November 10, 2021
It’s not exciting story for reading kids.
May 15, 2024
I liked it because Ariel helped win the race. I liked when she fell asleep in the balloon, when the race started, and when they were winning the race.
February 11, 2025
An early reader book about a hot balloon race. A little girl stowaways on her mother’s balloon. This could have lost her mother the race, but they won anyway.
July 29, 2025
based on real balloonist of the 1880's. the level three is challenging enough for those who are in third grade while learning about history.
July 26, 2019
A bestseller by the most popular postwar writer for children of all ages.
May 28, 2013
The year is 1882. Ariel wants to help her mother, Carlotta the Great, during a hot air balloon race but is told she is too young. The balloon race is a big occasion in town. Ariel ends up an accidental stowaway in her mother’s basket during the race and though she adds extra weight to the basket, she is able to find a way to help her mother during the race. “The Big Balloon Race” by Eleanor Coerr is an easy-reader illustrated book that would work well with first and second graders. It has short paragraphs, lots of white space, and colorful illustrations that break up the text. Among mostly easy, familiar words, Coerr also sprinkles bigger, harder words that will challenge readers and extend their vocabulary. Some examples are aeronaut, hydrogen (which readers learn is lighter than air), and altimeter. The illustrations by Carolyn Croll are of a higher quality than what you usually get in easy-readers. There is a lot of detail and color, and several pictures are drawn from interesting visual perspectives (from the sky looking down, from the ground looking up, etc.). Readers will be enthralled by the neck-and-neck balloon race depicted in this story. They also will benefit from a story about a race featuring female main characters. In addition to advancing young readers’ literacy, this book also tells an interesting story that young readers will relish.
November 5, 2015
My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.
http://spreadthewordnevada.org/
Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.
I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.
February 17, 2024
On their balloon farm in Mohawk, New York, Carl Myers makes balloons for his wife Carlotta who is the most famous female aeronaut in America. In 1882, Carlotta races Bernard the Brave, the greatest gentleman aeronaut in America. While they waited for the race to begin, Carlotta lets her daughter, Ariel, wait in the balloon’s basket. Ariel gets tired, crawls into the odds and end box, and falls asleep. Carlotta doesn’t discover her until after the race begins. The young girl’s weight provides extra ballast that causes her mother many difficulties during the race. Can Ariel’s last minute act of bravery help her mother win?
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
February 29, 2016
This was recommended to us because it was a Reading Rainbow book. I found it nice as well as it gives our children a look into the past and how things were way before they were born. AND this is based on a real life little girl who grew up to be a famous woman in ballooning. In the back of the book is a page on her and the 'real' life. But this book is written in a text that is easy for children to read and understand. I read this to my special needs teen age son and he enjoyed listening and looking at the pictures. I am now looking for more books on her.
March 21, 2011
This is a fascinating account of a hot-air balloon race that featured one of the most famous balloonists in America, Carlotta Myers. The story is interesting and the illustrations are bright and colorful. We enjoyed listening to this story narrated by Bonnie Kelley-Young on CD while we followed along with the book. We borrowed this book from the library as a kit with an audio CD and a paperback book with ISBN13 9780064440530.
December 5, 2013
Based on the true life adventures of the famous balloonist Myers family of the late 1800s, this tells a tale of the mother participating in a balloon race and the daughter's accidentally stowing away and coming along for the trip. The story seems a little bigger than life and I wouldn't believe it to be fact but it is an interesting introduction to this family, hot-air ballooning and independent women of the Victorian age. Cute folk art type illustrations add to the appeal.
April 2, 2008
the very first book i ever read, ever!
May 28, 2009
I like that this I can read book is based on a true story about the Myers family and thier hot air balloons.
June 24, 2009
Good story on the adventure of a hot balloon race.
October 12, 2009
A girl was very poor. One day her father took her to the church.Then her father took a book from the shelf ,they read the book all page.
November 12, 2012
Historically entertaining.
May 31, 2013
Fun story about a pioneering woman balloonist and her daughter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews