As a young boy, Chester Greenwood went from having cold ears to becoming a great inventor in this nonfiction picture book from the acclaimed author-illustrator of Pop! and Daredevil.
When your ears are cold, you can wear earmuffs, but that wasn’t true for Chester Greenwood back in 1873. Earmuffs didn’t exist yet! But during yet another long and cold Maine winter, Chester decided to do something about his freezing ears, and he designed the first pair of ear protectors (a.k.a. earmuffs) out of wire, beaver fur, and cloth. He received a patent for his design by the time he was nineteen, and within a decade the Chester Greenwood & Company factory was producing and shipping “Champion Ear Protectors” worldwide!
But that was just the beginning of Chester’s career as a successful businessman and prolific inventor. In this fun and fact-filled picture book you can find out all about his other clever creations. The Smithsonian has declared Chester Greenwood one of America’s most outstanding inventors. And if you’re ever in Maine on December 21, be sure to don a pair of earmuffs and celebrate Chester Greenwood day!
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Too many tangents
By Janet Hamilton
Let me start by saying that I have loved other books by Meghan McCarthy. I am a school librarian, and I have used Pop: The Invention of Bubble Gum and The Story of Charles Atlas, Strong Man to introduce biographies. So I was excited to see that there was another quirky biography out by her, this one about Chester Greenwood, the man who invented earmuffs.Only, it turns out, he didn't invent earmuffs. He improved upon them, and got a patent for his improvement. And a guy in Maine in the 1970's decided that the state of Maine should celebrate Chester Greenwood day every year.So instead of a straightforward biography, this is more the story of Chester Greenwood, with tangents that show the U.S. patent office, that tell how Thomas Edison didn't invent the lightbulb but improved it, a page about Chester Greenwood's wife's work for women's suffrage, and the story of how Chester Greenwood day came to be.The author's note at the end tells how McCarthy came up with the ideas for this book and what she was trying to communicate with it. Reading this made me appreciate more what she was doing. One of her messages is that improving on something can be as important as inventing it. Also, the book can serve as introduction to the process of inventing and getting a patent. But to me, there is just a messy lack of organization to the story. It is not one I would read aloud or use as an example of a good biography.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.Not what I expected
By Victoria B. Risacher
A bit boring and not on topic enough. Prose seemed awkward and "clunky".
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Four Stars
By Cathy Graffam
Good story, the parade event makes a celebration of winter in Farmington
