Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions (Hardcover)

~ Don Wulffson (Author), Laurie Keller (Illustrator) "Play-Doh began as a product for cleaning wallpaper..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Raggedy Ann, Magic Rocks (more...)

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• 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 x 6.1 x 0.7 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.com Sales Rank: #234,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

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

A Kid's Review

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 Fourth Grade Science Fanatics and Future Inventors read this, August 3, 2003

By	"ririri" (Suffern, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Great for boys and girls, makes you want to brainstorm and invent something while reading it. We borrowed it from the library and now we have it on our holiday wish list. This is something even the parents would want to read! PlayDoh, Toy Soldiers, and Slinky (my fav) are just a few good ones. This is a fun read even for those that aren't into science adventure camp and inventing!