The Original AeronautsChapter 1 ~ Maps & Dreams

Chapter 2 ~ The Launch

Chapter 3 ~ Goodbye Home?

Chapter 4 ~ Close Calls & Unexpected Friends

Chapter 5 ~ Storms, Wonders and Super Powers

Epilogue ~ Or, What Happened Next...

Luke Wade (a.k.a. Lu Quade) drew and

painted a lot as a kid, but stopped at

the beginning of high-school to concen-

trate on getting beaten up and learning

to play the guitar.

Many years passed... four years ago his

daughter Rose arrived. Largely as an

attempt to kick a video gaming habit,

and engage in a more productive/creative

activity that he could share with Rose,

he began to draw again. Unsurprisingly,

his drawing hadn't grown up with him.

“Yay!“ he said, in his distinctive monotone,

“I draw like a thirteen year old!!!“ He

kept drawing anyway... So far this has

led to the creation of hundreds of owls. Owls

dressed as monsters, monsters dressed as owls,

and so forth (some of which you might see as

pasteups, stickers and magnets hidden around

Newcastle).

He is currently trying to learn to make books

for kids by making books for kids. “The Origi-

nal Aeronauts“ is his first attempt. The words

and illustrations were nearly all written and

drawn at suspension espresso in Hamilton where

he spends a LOT of time drawing with Rose,

drinking coffee and talking to friends.

ABOUT ME! :)

At first he felt uncomfortable referring to

himself in the third person, but found it a

little too enjoyable towards the end. HI!!!

In 1783 the Montgolfier Brothers realised they could send a balloon filled with hot air up into the atmosphere...

Chapter

1Maps andDreams

1

2

Never before had it been possible to travel th

rough the sk

y...

2

MontgolfierSenior

But, could a person survive up there?

Could they breathe!? Nobody knew!3

Never before had it been possible to travel th

rough the sk

y...

To test if it was safe for people, three animals were taken from their peacefil lives. They travelled across fields, past tiny villages,

4

over rivers, through forests and mountain passes, towards the city and the palace at Versailles for the first ever balloon flight. 5

6

Th ey were destined to become...

Duck,

Montauciel the Sheep

and Rooster.

7

On the day of the launch the Brothers dined with the King and Queen. At the same time a bustling crowd was gathering outside to see the balloon fly. Montauciel the Sheep and the other animals waited on board the balloon.

Chapter2The

Launch

8

The balloon was beautiful: blue and gold and red. The bottom section was filled with pictures of eagles, garlands of flowers and the four faces of the wind. The middle decorated with images of the king’s face, each surrounded by a sun. The top was circled by the twelve zodiac signs.

9

The King and Queen came out. Everybody cheered. Hooray!The Brothers built a HUGE fire beneath the balloon. This is when things started to go very wrong. The Brothers were still learning about how balloons worked...10

They thought that thick, dark smoke would make the balloon fly best and made the fire out of hay and horse poo, broken old boots and rotten meat. Black, stinky smoke swirled around as the balloon slowly rose up into the sky. 11

As the balloon rose it pulled on the long chain that was meant to keep it attached to th

e ground. Th

e c

hain SNAPPED!

12

it attached to the g

round. Th e c

hain SNAPPED!

The King and the Queen and the crowd below were angry and coughing.The Brothers were crying with smoke in their eyes. They couldn’t even see the balloon anymore.

13

Chapter

3

Good-byeHome?

14

The animals held hands and looked down at the land from high above. They were still afraid, but it was an amazing sight to see.

When you are in a balloon you move at the same speed as the wind...

Seeds and leaves and little creatures move at the same speed too, so they sit as if frozen in the air around you. Sounds float up from below and you can hear tiny people speaking as if they are standing right beside you.

Tardigrades

(Water Bears)

Aphids

Ballooning Spiders

15

The balloon flew away from the city: over bridges and rivers, hills and mountains, towns and villages, fields and forests...

16

They watched their homes drift past far below. But, they could not stop the balloon.

17

Chapter

4

Close Calls and Unexpected Friends

They began to move out across the ocean, further and further from land, until all they could see was the sea.

As the sun set the new friends cuddled up to eachother and drifted. Slowly. Off. To Sleep...

Montauciel dreamed of Adventure. A beautiful cloud told her everything would be okay.

The Rooster dreamed of fame and fortune. He won first prize in

a beauty contest.

The Duck dreamed of family: Grandparents, Brothers and Sisters. The ducklings she might have. 19

At dawn they woke to the sound of crashing waves. The balloon was dangerously close to the water and they were going down fast! Montauciel held her new friends close.

20

Suddenly, just as they were about to hit the water, silvery fins flashed and sharp white teeth gnashed!

Unlooked for friends had bitten off the heavy bags attached to the balloon, and it bagan to rise again. Phew! 21

But, just when they thought they w

ere outof trouble... the balloon w

ent up.A

nd up. And up. A

nd up. (and up and up and up).

22troposphere

stratosphere

mesospere

thermosphere

exosphere

23

It got very cold. The air was thin, and it was hard to breathe. The friends fell fast asleep again...24

They didn’t see the friendly stranger that flew past and helped them. He left them food and water, then took some of the hot air out of the balloon so that it moved back into a less dangerous part of the sky. 25

Chapter

5

Storms,Wonders&Super Powers

26

Chichen Itza - Mexico.

The Blue Mosque - Turkey.

The Great Wall of China.

The Pyramids & The Sphynx - Egypt.

27

Angkor Wat - Cambodia.

Leaning Tower of Pisa - Italy.

Mount Everest - Nepal/Tibet.28

Saint Basil’s Cathedral - Russia.

Taung Kalat Temple - Myanmar.

Stonehenge - The United Kingdom.

29

Days and weeks flew by. The food was all gone gone. The Aeronauts were hungry and heartsore. That night a huge and scary storm arrived.30

Lightning flashed and boomed. The rain poured. A sudden gust of wind pushed the Rooster out of the balloon. The Duck grabbed the Rooster’s feet and fell out too. Oh no! 31

This time there was no-one to help them... Montauciel jumped out of the balloon. Time stopped. 32

Montauciel had no idea that her Great, Great, Great Grandmother was a cloud. Something amazing was about to happen! She zoomed down to her friends, grabbed their hands and flew like a cloud! 33

She helped her friends climb back into the basket and soared through the storm, pulling the the balloon behind her.34

Weeks after their journey first began, they were finally home. The balloon landed softly on thegrass. 35

The Brothers are still remebered for inventing

the Hot Air Balloon. Their Dad wouldn’t let them go

up in one because it was too dangerous.

The Rooster went on to win one hundred blue ribbons

for being so gorgeous.

World’s Most Gorgeous Rooster(Officially)

Epilogue

or whathappened

next...

36

The Duck layed lots of eggs and most of them hatched.

Later on her babies had babies. She had lots of

stories to tell to her grand-ducklings.

Montauciel stayed home for a little

while, but it wasn’t long before she was

bored. She flew off into the clouds for more

adventures!

(nobody even knew the snail was there...)

37

Fact and Fiction:* The Montgolfier Brothers did invent

the Hot Air Balloon in 1783.

* Three animals were sent up for the first

ever flight: A Sheep, a Rooster and a Duck.

* They named the sheep Montauciel which

means “Climb to the Sky' in French.

* King Louis XVI of France and Queen

Marie Antoinette were at the launch.

* The Brothers' dad really wouldn't let them

go up in the balloon.

* The real flight lasted only about 8

minutes and travelled around 3 kms before

landing.

* The animals may or may not have been

assisted by Mer-Kings and Aliens... ;)

Operating Instructions:* Hold the book in your hands.

* Read the words in a friendly voice.

* Show the pictures to a child/children

if there are any nearby.

* Follow roads and balloon journeys

along with your finger (or get a nearby

child to do it).

* Talk about the pictures i.e. What is a

water bear!? What is Mount Everest!?

* Have fun. Or Else!!! :)