PICTURE BOOK REVIEW with GIVEAWAY: The Boo-Boos That Changed the World by Barry Wittenstein
ABOUT THE BOOK
Did you know Band-Aids were invented by accident?! And that they weren't mass-produced until the Boy Scouts gave their seal of approval?
1920s cotton buyer Earle Dickson worked for Johnson & Johnson and had a klutzy wife who often cut herself. The son of a doctor, Earle set out to create an easier way for her to bandage her injuries. Band-Aids were born, but Earle's bosses at the pharmaceutical giant weren't convinced, and it wasn't until the Boy Scouts of America tested Earle's prototype that this ubiquitous household staple was made available to the public. Soon Band-Aids were selling like hotcakes, and the rest is boo-boo history.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barry
Wittenstein has always been involved with writing, from contributing to
his high school and college newspapers, to writing and performing
poetry on stage in San Francisco, songwriting, sports writing, and now
picture books.
He has
worked at CBS Records, CBS News, and was a web editor and writer for
Major League Baseball. He is now an elementary-school substitute teacher
and children's author.
Barry
particularly likes nonfiction, and profiling mostly unknown people and
events whose stories have never been told in children’s literature. He
is the author of Waiting for Pumpsie and The Boo-Boos That Changed the World. He lives in New York City. To learn more, visit his website: https://onedogwoof.
Listen to the podcast interview!
Praise for THE BOO-BOOS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
★”Appealingly
designed and illustrated, an engaging, fun story about the inspiration
and inventor of that essential staple of home first aid.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A
funny and illuminating nonfiction entry that will hold particular
appeal for aspiring inventors and future medical professionals.”—School Library Journal
REVIEW
I always find it interesting to find out the stories behind inventions that I take for granted every day. The Band-Aid is one such invention. Wittenstein does a nice job of explaining where the idea for the product came from and I can relate, I'm a bit of a klutz too. It's nice to know where a product that I use on an almost daily basis came from. I also appreciated the fact that the product wasn't really popular at first. It took a while for society to get used to the product and the product went through several versions before what we now know as the Band-Aid took it's present form. The brilliant idea of giving some away free to the Boy Scouts was an interesting tidbit as well. This is the sort of book that can help children understand that the things we use come from somewhere. The book could also be a great inspiration in helping children develop their own inventions. The timeline and additional information at the end is helpful in providing addition context. It's also appreciated when the author explains that some of the dialogue is fictionalized to provide a sense of immediacy in the book.
GIVEAWAY
One lucky winner will receive a copy of THE BOO-BOOS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (U.S. addresses).
One lucky commenter will win a copy of this book. Just tell me what one of your favorite invention stories is. Thanks!
I love the story behind Velcro. Hoe the burrs stuck to the inventor's dog's fur.
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ReplyDeleteFun invention story: The invention of Liquid Paper by the mother of Monkees member Mike Nesmith!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've been thinking this looks fun and interesting!
jsmith[delete brackets]3may[delete brackets]2011
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Play-Doh originally used for cleaning, but was later used as modeling clay in classrooms. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThis book would be a treasure for my grandsons. Unique and fascinating. Post-its is an interesting story. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSuch a terrific looking book, thanks for the chance to win a copy. I know that post-it notes were invented by accident and since I use them every day I'm really glad they were. Thanks again.
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