Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions [Hardcover]

Don Wulffson (Author), Laurie Keller (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A fresh, intriguing look at the stories behind great toy inventions.

"Originally, Play-Doh only came in white. There's a good reason for this. You see, Play-Doh didn't start out as a toy. It started out as a product for cleaning wallpaper."

Have you ever wondered who invented Lego, Mr. Potato Head, or toy trains? Here are the fascinating stories behind these toy inventions and many others. Learn why the see-saw was popular with the Romans, how the Slinky was used during the Vietnam War, and the reason Raggedy Ann has a red heart on her chest that says "I love you." From dolls and checkers to pinball and the modern video game, there's a wide selection here for boys and girls alike.

With humor and wit, this intriguing book serves up slices of cultural history that will inspire young readers to start thinking up their own toy inventions.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-Wulffson shares the stories behind classic and commercial toy inventions such as Legos, Mr. Potato Head, Raggedy Ann, toy soldiers, Twister, checkers, and remote control cars. Readers will discover that some of the most popular creations were the products of experiments gone awry, thus providing a lesson in persistence, surprise outcomes, and creative thinking. Several pages of history are provided for each plaything, followed by bulleted trivia, such as "The ingredient that gives Play-Doh its distinctive aroma is vanilla." Keller's clever black-and-white cartoons add humor to the already-engaging text. A light read or a lively report source on inventions.
Victoria Kidd, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Wulffson follows up The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle (1997) with the sometimes quirky tales behind more than two dozen novelties, gadgets and games, from playing cards and wind-up toys to Play-Doh. Some (tops, seesaws) have long histories, some (whoopee cushions) only seem to have been around forever, and some (Trivial Pursuit) are of recent vintage. The author brushes in their origins and variations with broad strokes, livening the picture further with factoids at each chapter's end, and Keller's gnomic, black-and-white cartoon figures lighten the tone further by cracking wise on the side. The generalizations may sometimes shade over into oversimplifications (There is even an Asian religion based on kite flying), and there is nothing about Pokémon or other current crazes, but these accounts of the origins of super balls, Raggedy Ann, Legos, Twister, Pong and the like will give middle graders new insight into their parents' misspent youths--and a bibliography and a list of Web sites will give readers who want all the details a head start. (Nonfiction. 9-11) -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805061967
• ISBN-13: 978-0805061963
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun facts about toys!, July 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions (Hardcover)

Have you ever wondered who invented the bicycle, Legos, and other toys? You can find the answers to many of your questions in this book. I learned so many things I never knew before about a variety of toys,ranging from mechanical toys and toy trains to Twister and Trivial Pursuit to Mr. Potatoe Head and Raggedy Ann. It was a great book, easy to read, and made learning fun. I'm sure both children and adults will be facinated by what they read and learn. Now I want to go out and share the information with everyone I know!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars toys & toys, November 30, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions (Hardcover)

Toys Amazing stories Behind Great Invemtions is a fantastic book.It's filled with stoies. One of the stories are about toy soldiers Little boys in Europe during the Middle ages played with wooden knights. Little boys in Greece played with clay soldiers.This book is the greates book I ever read. Don Wulffson made this book great. Laurie Keller made the picters great If you want to know how some of your favorite kinds of toys were made you should get this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for all Ages - I read it Aloud to my Students, July 21, 2008

By 

G. Sims "Husker" (Nebraska, Home of the Huskers) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions (Hardcover)

I am a teacher and one of our Science modules is called Ideas and Inventions. I have used this book in my classroom for read-aloud time during this unit. The stories are interesting and to-the-point. The students are as interested in the various Toy origin stories as I am.

I love discussing with them the humble origins that many of the most memorable toys of the last 100 years come from. You don't have to be a genius or wealthy to have a great, original idea.