The way it all began!

By Antonio Lupatelli

Relates the humorous events which resulted in twenty-eight inventions such as the wheel, glass, and the bicycle. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0448119137
• ISBN13: 9780448119137
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great for Kindergardeners

This book is adorable! The cartoons are absolutely delightful. The characters in them are animals with clothes on, reminds me of Richard Scarry. There's a two page spread on each of the following: the wheelironpaperglassmatchesthe rocketprintingthe clockthe compassthe airshipthe parachutethe bicyclethe railroadelectricitythe steamshipthe electric light bulbthe submarinephotographythe automobiletelegraphrecord playertelephoneairplanemoviesradioTVx-raysThe text is really interesting and simple. My three year old, who is fascinated with machines, wanted me to read this book for four days straight. My one year old sat with us almost the whole time just to look at the interesting animals doing funny things. But the text is not dumbed down, rather, it was just so interesting that my children were willing to struggle with it in order to enjoy the book -- and they learned a LOT in the process. Now my son understands the concept and importance of history and the human element in science. Sample paragraph: "Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a wheel. That's hard to believe, but it's true. If you wanted to move something heavy, you had to carry it or pull it. Ugh! Imagine the muscles you'd have to have to drag a big lummox like this!" and the illustration shows a tiny, frustrated little fuzzy warthog in caveman outfit dragging by the tail his Stone Age size kill, who is upside down with four feet straight in the air. There are five additional paragraphs on the two page spread, each with an illustration of it's own, each about the same size as the previous paragraph. And that's all about the wheel. But it sure gets the point across and is interesting and cute to both parent and child.I very highly recommend this book. These days, non fiction for children is written by committees of child development experts, which produces a rather boring result. This book was written by an individual who clearly loves and enjoys kids and loves their subject, too. That's hard to find anymore! Grab this one if you can.