"Are you in a hurry to wonder and worry
That new things you try won't go right?
When they simply don't work, don't go all berserk
Mistakes can grow wings and take flight."
I do like the premise that mistakes, from the past, lead to wonderful things but where does this book fit? The text is a rhyming narrative but the inventions and inventors are real people so I will say this is a non fiction book but it is one that will appeal to your youngest readers because the text is accessible, the inventions are quirky and at times the 'blooper' inventions are quite funny.
The opening rhyming pages work well as you can read in my text quote above - setting the scene and while I would prefer a different form because I am not a huge fan of rhyme in this book this is well sustained throughout as we meet each famous person and his or her invention.
The back matter is easy to read and could be a jumping off point for further research. The end papers are well designed with the first filled with crumpled paper and at the back the paper is transformed into paper planes which have been made with great skill. I also like the reverse “s” on the cover and title page which invites curious readers to discover more. This book encourages children to persist and experiment and think creatively.
Who do we meet in this book? Alexander Fleming (penicillin), Maria Ann Smith (Granny Smith Apple), R James (the slinky), the chemist Perkin (mauve dye), Garrett A Morgan (traffic lights), Kay Zofall (Play-Doh), and Wilson Greatbatch (heart pacemaker).
I am a huge fan of Cheryl Orsini ever since I saw her charming a large group of children at the Sydney Writers Festival. And now I am especially envious because she has been spending time at the farmhouse called Milkwood which has been set up by Sophie Blackall as a writers retreat.
Here are some other books with the same theme as The Greatest Mistakes that went right:
Further Reading:
7 amazing inventions discovered by mistake BigThink
10 Inventions That Changed The World, But Were Made By Mistake StoryPick
10 Silly Inventions That Became Wildly Famous HowStuffWorks
Cheryl and Maddy have a new book which was published this year:
No comments:
Post a Comment