"The first living creatures ever to ride in a hot air balloon were a sheep, a rooster, and a duck. But not just any sheep, rooster, and duck. These extraordinary farm animals have been secretly keeping the world safe for years. And now they face their greatest challenge: a plot involving a dastardly villain, sinister secret societies, Benjamin Franklin, the world's first heat ray, and a mild-mannered ten-year-old named Emile. He has no idea what he's gotten into. But it's sure to be the adventure of a lifetime." --jacket.