Brilliant People, Big Ideas

Frozen pizza, microwaves, bicycles, video-game cartridges, and more ubiquitous objects in the lives of kids are all the product of inventors. The thematic volumes in the Brilliant People, Big Ideas series focus on some of these fun, practical, and even revolutionary inventions. Each book is structure in chronological order and uses a vibrant layout with photos, reproductions, and digital graphics to introduce the inventors and their inventions. Short, easy-to-read, chunked text, in turn, describes a problem to be solved, the invention’s creation, and its importance. Food Inventors presents both useful food innovations, such as sliced bread and the ice cream maker, and just plain delicious inventions, like cotton candy. Inventors by Mistake shows how the microwave oven, sticky notes, chocolate chip cookies, and other everyday items are the products of experiments that ended with unexpected results. Technology Inventors concentrates on inventions that have revolutionized communication and quality of life, including the printing press, central heating, and computer programming. Transportation Inventors looks at innovations in modes of transportation as well as inventions that made travel safer, such as windshield wipers, traffic signals, and seat belts. Each title encourages young readers to do their own problem-solving, with guided and creative questions reinforcing innovation in this informative yet playful STEM series.

Brief introductions to various inventions and their inventors. It took Nicholas Appert 14 years to perfect his idea of canning. Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when he left mold in a dish. Johannes Gutenberg ­invented the printing press. Mary ­Anderson produced the windshield wiper. Colorful illustrations of the subjects and their inventions accompany the texts.

Some inventors often left out of other age-­appropriate tomes are featured, including Alice H. Parker (­inventor of central gas heating) and Garrett Morgan (created yellow light used in traffic signals). The information provided is scant, including only names, dates, and inventions, but enough to be intriguing—young readers will find themselves wanting to seek out more information.

VERDICT: Colorful illustrations combined with interesting facts make these volumes attractive to browsers, and selectors should consider.