Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions - Hardcover

Wulffson, Don

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805061967 ISBN 13: 9780805061963

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2000

Synopsis

A fresh, intriguing look at the stories behind great toy inventions.

"Originally, Play-Doh only came in white. There's a good reason for this. You see, Play-Doh didn't start out as a toy. It started out as a product for cleaning wallpaper."

Have you ever wondered who invented Lego, Mr. Potato Head, or toy trains? Here are the fascinating stories behind these toy inventions and many others. Learn why the see-saw was popular with the Romans, how the Slinky was used during the Vietnam War, and the reason Raggedy Ann has a red heart on her chest that says "I love you." From dolls and checkers to pinball and the modern video game, there's a wide selection here for boys and girls alike.

With humor and wit, this intriguing book serves up slices of cultural history that will inspire young readers to start thinking up their own toy inventions.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Did you know that ...
-- Each year, Lionel Trains produces more than a million engines, cabooses, and other railroad cars? (If hitched together, they would make a toy train about fifty miles long.)
-- King Louis XIV, Napoleon, and Queen Victoria all had collections of wind-up toys?
-- In late nineteenth-century France, more than five million tin soldiers were made from discarded sardine containers?
-- The youngest international champion in table tennis was eight-year-old Joy Foster of Jamaica?
-- Play-Doh originally came only in white? (There's a good reason for this: it started out as a product for cleaning wallpaper!)

From the Inside Flap:

Have you ever wondered who invented Mr. Potato Head, Lego, the bicycle, or even remote control cars?

Here are the fascinating stories behind these toy inventions and many others. Learn why kites were popular in ancient China, how the Slinky was used during the Vietnam War, and the reason Raggedy Ann has a red heart that says "I love you" on her chest. From dolls and checkers to pinball and the modern video game, there's a wide selection for both boys and girls to pore over.

With humor and wit, this intriguing book serves up slices of cultural history that may just inspire young readers to think up their own toy inventions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0805061967
• ISBN 13: 9780805061963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Keller Laurie