Review by Booklist Review
Following his purviews of Ben Franklin (Now & Ben, 2006) and Leonardo da Vinci (Neo Leo, 2009), Barretta applies the same picture-book format to the inventions of Thomas Edison. Left-hand pages show people using modern technology ( Today . . . we can record any sound we like and save it ), while, across the spreads, Barretta reveals the roots found in Edison's work: Edison's tinfoil phonograph was the first device to record sound and play it back. Barretta covers the expected Edisonian highlights the telephone, the light bulb, and the battery alongside other fascinating projects, such as a huge vending machine designed to dole out urban necessities, including coal and produce, or the first movie studio, built on a circular track to allow sunlight to shine through an exposed roof. Chipper cartoon illustrations show a perma-grinning Edison cranking out invention after invention, but Barretta also slyly draws in some of Edison's employees, who are identified in short concluding biographies, emphasizing that Edison didn't go it alone. An entertaining, enlightening intro.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Following his picture-book biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci, Barretta introduces Thomas Edison to young readers. Edison (1847-1931), portrayed as a twinkly-eyed gentleman, busily develops his inventions in his New Jersey laboratories. In side-by-side scenes, present-day children and adults enjoy modern technologies (a tattoo gun, an MP3 player, a movie), while opposite, their antecedents (the electric pen, the phonograph, the Kinetoscope) are discussed. Barretta's warm and funny watercolors create an inviting portrait of an influential man: "So every time you turn on a light, think of Thomas Edison and remember everything he gave us." Endnotes profile Edison's employees and offer trivia and additional resources. Ages 8-12. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-6-Thomas Alva Edison and his inventive mind had a huge impact on society, perhaps more than most people realize. This is the focus of Gene Barretta's book (Holt, 2012.) In the DVD, the author provides a live-action introduction, taking viewers to Edison's workshop and showing many of his inventions. This provides a nice segue into the book itself, which is read by Steve Chiamadia while Barretta's warm and humorous cartoon illustrations are scanned iconographically. The presentation is fascinating because it focuses less on Edison's life than on his legacy. At Edison's lab, students are introduced to an invention and then shown how it impacts us today. The connections that are made are enlightening as viewers learn how Edison was instrumental in the technology that led to modern-day movies, batteries, tattoos, vending machines, and much more. Barretta also emphasizes the work involved, and how Edison learned from his failures as well as his successes. This fascinating presentation provides unique insights and thought-provoking connections.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fine introduction to Thomas Edison's exceptional inventions, innovations and career--and how his work continues to affect our lives today. Young readers who know Edison only as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb will be fascinated by the breadth and scope of his genius as well as the sheer number of electrical devices he brought forth. They will be astonished that it is Edison whom they can thank for the phonograph, movie camera and projector, and improvements on the telegraph and telephone. There seems to have been little the man didn't think of: an early vending machine, a vote recorder for the government (for which he received his first patent), and the first device to make use of X-ray technology. The modern photocopier and even the tattoo needle were based on an Edison creation, the electric pen. Barretta's admiring, clear prose; detailed, child-appealing paintings; and easy-to-understand diagrams cast a focused spotlight on the "Wizard of Menlo Park" and his extraordinary work. In a nice touch, he pays homage to the gifted, dedicated team of scientists, chemists, engineers and inventors with whom Edison worked for years at both of his New Jersey laboratories; short biographical sketches of these important men are included, as is a list of "Thomas Trivia." A glowing tribute to the inventor who continues to influence modern life. (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-11)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
