The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas

The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas is a children's novel by Erich Kästner, first published in 1931. It is a fantasy story with a satirical edge, and it stands apart from the more realistic contemporary settings found in much of Kästner's other work. The book moves through an invented world where ordinary rules do not quite hold, and it is shaped as a playful, lightly whimsical read rather than a straightforward realist story. It was illustrated by Walter Trier, whose drawings fit the book's unusual tone.

This is a good fit for readers who like children's fiction that mixes imagination with humor and a slightly offbeat sense of logic. The blend of fantasy, science fiction, and nonsense makes it especially appealing to readers who enjoy stories that do not stay inside familiar everyday boundaries. If you know Kästner mainly through his more realistic books, this one shows a different side of his style: still clear and readable, but looser, stranger, and more openly playful.