Status
Call number
Publication
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Juvenile Nonfiction. Multi-Cultural. Science. HTML:A cool idea with a big splash You know the Super Soaker. It�??s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for rockets, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy. A love for rockets, robots, inventions, and a mind for creativity began early in Lonnie Johnson�??s life. Growing up in a house full of brothers and sisters, persistence and a passion for problem solving became the cornerstone for a career as an engineer and his work with NASA. But it is his invention of the Super Soaker water gun that has made his most memorable splash with kids and a… (more)
User reviews
Whoosh! is Lonnie Johnson’s life accessible to young children. When he accidentally invented the Super Soaker Water Gun, he tried to sell it to toy companies. He had no success, but he did not give up. He quit his job as NASA and had to move his family out of the family home. He did not give up and eventually sold the water gun and made a lot of money from it.
The illustrations are bright and cheerful. I think children will enjoy the story behind the toy that most people are familiar with. Lonnie Johnson is a great role model, he doesn’t give up and he doesn’t let his circumstances define him. He doesn’t fit our ‘mold’ of an inventor. Lonnie shows readers that there is always something new to create. This might encourage readers to get out there and build something of their own. What a great book to read to children before a Science Fair or unit on creativity and inventions. Even though this is a biography, it is geared to children, easy to read and understand. Lonnie Johnson’s story is the perfect book to include in an elementary school or classroom library.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.