I am a childrenâs author best known for digging up fascinating, often funny stories about famous peopleâand forgotten people who deserve to be famous again. Iâve written about kids who grew up to be great at everything from making movies to inventing a new language. I want readers to know there are lots of different ways to be smart, and that being âgood with your handsâ also means being good with your mind.
Marvelous Mattie is the true story of the woman who invented a machine to make flat-bottomed paper shopping bags, the same kind we still use in supermarkets. But her story is so much more than that. I quickly warmed to this talented and determined girl whose homemade kites and sleds were the envy of all the boys. When she was only twelve, she had to leave school and go to work in the mills, where an accident led to her first major invention, a lifesaving guard to keep pieces from flying off machines. I love McCullyâs illustration styleâit reminds me of The Borrowersâand her account of Mattieâs patent battle against a man who stole her work had me holding my breath until the very satisfying happy ending.
With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father's toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything â toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. However, in court, a man claimed the invention was his, stating that she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Marvelous Mattie proved him wrong, and over the course of her life earned the title of "the LadyâŚ
Iâm someone who feels everything deeply and longs for a kinder, healthier world for everyone. A humane educator and diverse books advocate, Iâm drawn to true stories that inspire compassion, inclusivity, and taking action in our own unique ways to make a difference. My nonfiction picture booksâincluding Winged Wonders, Cougar Crossing, Ocean Soup, Make Way for Animals!, So Much More To Helen, and moreâ focus on âsolutionariesâ who help people, animals, and the planet. Theyâve won Golden Kite and Eureka! Nonfiction Honor Awards, starred reviews, and spots on best books lists.
This is one of my favorite âsolutionary stories.â Itâs about an ordinary man who saw poverty all around him in the aftermath of World War II in Japan and wanted to do something to help his hungry, suffering neighbors. So, he got to work, using his own unique skills, persevering through many failures, to invent an inexpensive, convenient food that could feed many people: dried ramen noodles. This book is about so much more than the origin of this now ubiquitous food; itâs about caring for others in need by tapping into our own special talents and finding a way.
Inspiration struck when Momofuku Ando spotted the long lines for a simple bowl of ramen following World War II. Magic Ramen tells the true story behind the creation of one of the world's most popular foods.
Every day, Momofuku Ando would retire to his lab--a little shed in his backyard. For years, he'd dreamed about making a new kind of ramen noodle soup that was quick, convenient, and tasty for the hungry people he'd seen in line for a bowl on the black market following World War II. Peace follows from a full stomach, he believed.
I write nonfiction books for children and teens that focus on current environmental stories. But environmental headlines are usually gloomy and filled with foreboding, so, I prefer to focus on stories that involve individuals identifying an environmental problem and working to develop a solution â hence this list of happy conservation stories. The stories in this list â and many others â are the antidote to the headlines. They are the hope. They show human ingenuity at its most creative, most flexible, and most caring. Happy conservation stories empower kids, teens, and adults to care about the role they play in nature and unite them in action.
Human progress is often bad for wildlife. Our roads, housing developments, and stores often disrupt wildlife migration corridors. We are the problem, but Meeg Pincus writes an uplifting book about how we are also the solution.
Make Way for Animals! is a book about coexisting with wildlife. When we put our heads together there is always a way to meet our needs and the needs of the creatures with whom we share this planet.
Around the world, city highways and country roads have cut through natural spaces. Wild animals are blocked from the resources they need to survive, or must make dangerous crossings across busy roads to get to them. Fortunately, solving this problem has inspired some creative solutions! Take a tour of wildlife crossings across the globe, from grassy badger bridges to underpasses for elephants. Discover how these inventive pathways have saved both animal and human lives and helped preserve ecosystems.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, my dyslexia made reading a challenge. However, my close encounters with books led to a meaningful and expressive life. From my family's barbershop, I absorbed colorful conversations and tall tales, fueling my imagination. Expressing those narratives through drawings at my kitchen table granted me solace. Driven by a desire to bring stories to life, I leaped and pursued an education in art. In a picture book art class, my calling as an author and illustrator became clear. Transforming words into vivid illustrations and breathing life into children's literature became my heartfelt pursuit. With over 75 books now in my repertoire, I am truly fortunate.
After reading this captivating story, I was overwhelmed with the desire to embark on a grand adventure, flying in an open-air cockpit.
Coming from Ohio, not far from where the Wright Brothers took to the skies, flight has always fascinated me, from observing birds to marveling at airplanes. The vivid pictures within the pages of this book ignited a fire within me, giving me wings to soar through the air.
With its delightful portrayal of Louis BlĂŠriot's historic flight across the English channel in 1909, this picture book beautifully brings the world of first flights and eccentric contraptions to life. Its clever illustrations, filled with wit and whimsy, truly captured the essence of the extraordinary journey.
I have never picked a peck of pickles, but I have been a crossing guard, pet-sitter, and professional gift-wrapper. Iâve worked in department stores, banks, libraries, colleges, and even a middle school cafeteria. Every job has taught me about the value of hard work, allowed me to pursue a passion, and inspired me to connect with all kinds of people. My current job - picture book author - is my favorite! I write to empower and inspire readers with new ideas and encourage them, like my characters, to succeed by maintaining a positive attitude and a growth mindset!
This book introduces the concept of entrepreneurship by encouraging kids to act as creative problem-solvers. Rae is inspired to invent a dog cleaning techno-solution after witnessing a sticky spill. Simple text with a story told in pictures, this is an upbeat resource for the youngest Shark Tank fans, focusing on the curiosity, courage, and risk-taking components necessary for a new business to succeed.
Part of the award-winning What Does It Mean to Be...? series, What Does It Mean to Be an Entrepreneur? is a marvelous introduction for children of all ages to the concept of entrepreneurship and creativity.
Being an entrepreneur means... Following your dream Loving to learn and being curious Taking risks
Celebrated by Co-Founder of Ben & Jerry's, Jerry Greenfield, What Does It Mean to Be an Entrepreneur? is a book that "Inspires young dreamers to find the courage to be doers."
When Rae witnesses an ice cream-and-doggie mishap, she's inspired to create a big-scale solution to wash dogs. Rae drawsâŚ
I love encouraging kids to explore engineering, design, and technology! I am a former Google product designer for kids and families. I started writing to address a growing need for coding education, particularly for girls and kids of color. Stories are a wonderful way to demonstrate concepts and to invite kids to approach STEM with creativity and imagination. I picked a range of books for this post, from non-fiction to fantastic, because different kids will respond to different kinds of stories. Through these books, I hope that kids will find inspiration and tools for creative problem-solving, for STEM and beyond.
This non-fiction book about Emma Lilian Todd by Kirsten Williams Larson and illustrated by Tracy Subisak offers an inspiring story about a woman engineer inventing an airplane. The story and illustrations do a fantastic job of showing the real-world process of design thinking, with research and failures along the way. I love the themes of perseverance and the important message that great inventions build upon one another.
NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book * NSTA Best STEM Book List
This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.
Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring--she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventionsâŚ
Not long ago, while rummaging through old storage containers in our garage, I came across a board game I had invented during elementary school. But I hadnât made it for a school project or because anyone had asked me to make it. I had made it simply because I was passionate about creatingâŚand I still am. As a childrenâs author, science editor, and dancer, I am fascinated by the creative process. I chose these books because they depict many of the ups, downs, and often unexpected outcomes of the creative process, all within the context of inventions for kids!
Two things stand out to me in this book about the invention of the Slinky. First, I appreciate that it highlights the importance of teamwork in creative pursuits. Richard James, his wife, and even their young son were instrumental in this springy toy's invention, production, and/or marketing.
I also adore the engaging art style, perfect for a book set in the 1940s. Each spread is a colorful collage of playful drawings, fabrics and patterns, paper cutouts, and images of real objects, including springs, old-fashioned telephones, and toys from the time period. Delightful!
With magnificent dioramic illustrations, Gilbert Ford captures the joy, creativity, and determination behind the invention of an iconic, one-of-a-kind toy: the Slinky!
One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walkâŚand so did Richardâs imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled onto something marvelous.
With the help of his wife, Betty, Richard took this ordinary spring and turned it into a plaything. But it wasnât just any old trinketâit was a Slinky, and it would become one of the most popular toys in American history.
Not long ago, while rummaging through old storage containers in our garage, I came across a board game I had invented during elementary school. But I hadnât made it for a school project or because anyone had asked me to make it. I had made it simply because I was passionate about creatingâŚand I still am. As a childrenâs author, science editor, and dancer, I am fascinated by the creative process. I chose these books because they depict many of the ups, downs, and often unexpected outcomes of the creative process, all within the context of inventions for kids!
Edwin Binney loved color! Itâs this love of color that helped propel him near the turn of the 20th century to invent the worldâs best crayons at the time and arguably the worldâs best crayons of ALL time. I mean, what kid doesnât love Crayola crayons, right?
My favorite part of this book is all the imagination and experimentation that Binney and his team put into developing the perfect crayon recipe and color combinations. Kids will also have fun with the endpapers, which depict many nameless crayons with an invitation to âChoose a color. Give it a name. Draw a picture!â
What child doesn't love to hold a crayon in their hands? But children didn't always have such magical boxes of crayons. Before Edwin Binney set out to change things, children couldn't really even draw in colour.
Here's the true story of an inventor who so loved nature's vibrant colours that he found a way to bring the outside world to children - in a bright green box for only a nickel! With experimentation, and a special knack for listening, Edwin Binney and his dynamic team at Crayola created one of the world's most enduring, best-loved childhood toys - empowering childrenâŚ
I write nonfiction books for children and teens that focus on current environmental stories. But environmental headlines are usually gloomy and filled with foreboding, so, I prefer to focus on stories that involve individuals identifying an environmental problem and working to develop a solution â hence this list of happy conservation stories. The stories in this list â and many others â are the antidote to the headlines. They are the hope. They show human ingenuity at its most creative, most flexible, and most caring. Happy conservation stories empower kids, teens, and adults to care about the role they play in nature and unite them in action.
Conservation success isnât always about saving animals or an ecosystem. Sometimes itâs about learning to live with nature.
Richard Turereâs story is a wonderful tale about how he protected his familyâs cows â the first duty of a Maasai warrior â with an invention of his own making. And he was only twelve years old! His lion lights became so popular, they are protecting other Maasai familiesâ herds, too. I love this story of ingenuity, STEM, and learning to decrease human-wildlife conflicts to coexist.
Richard Turere's own story: Richard grew up in Kenya as a Maasai boy, herding his family's cattle, which represented their wealth and livelihood. Richard's challenge was to protect their cattle from the lions who prowled the night just outside the barrier of acacia branches that surrounded the farm's boma, or stockade. Though not well-educated, 12-year-old Richard loved tinkering with electronics. Using salvaged components, spending $10, he surrounded the boma with blinking lights, and the system works; it keeps lions away. His invention, Lion Lights, is now used in Africa, Asia, and South America to protect farm animals from predators.
As a child, I loved stories about people who accomplished extraordinary things â I read our set of encyclopedias from cover to cover. Those first forays into research stood me in good stead when I started writing nonfiction picture books about people who believed that nothing is impossible if you can imagine it â people like Robert Goddard who climbed a cherry tree when he was 13 and looked at the moon and decided he was going to build a vehicle that could take people there. As a teacher and as a parent, I read picture books on a daily basis, and as a writer for children, I love sparking the curiosity of young readers.
We often tell our children that they are like precious jewels â and this story shows them how the struggles of nature and the struggles of life can hone a rockâŚand a personâŚinto something glorious! I love how the author shows the process that creates a natural diamond side by side with the process that created the person who invented the first machine to produce industrial diamonds. This true story of the authorâs grandfather includes vibrant back matter to inform the reader without slowing down the gripping and heartfelt narrative. My favorite books unfold with stories about true people who persevered against immense challenges â and The Diamond and the Boy checks every box.
Told in a unique dual-narrative format, The Diamond and the Boy follows the stories of both natural diamond creation and the life of H. Tracy Hall, the inventor of a revolutionary diamond-making machine. Perfect for fans of Rosie Revere, Engineer, and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. Itâs a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.
Before a diamond is a gem, itâs a common gray rock calledâŚ
