The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor

Vivid paintings and a simple text chronicle the life and achievements of African-American inventor Elijah McCoy, developer of more than fifty patented inventions, including an innovative oil cup that revolutionized railroad operations.

Grade 2-5-- Canadian born Elijah McCoy patented over 50 inventions in his lifetime. Despite the fact that he was trained as a master mechanic and engineer, he could only find work as a fireman/oilman on a railroad, because no one had ever heard of a black engineer in the United States. His automatic oil cup became standard equipment on most trains and heavy machinery, and was so superior to others that people demanded "the real McCoy." The text is compact but contains enough detail and warmth to make the man come to life. The acrylic illustrations are vibrant and full of details that reflect McCoy's years of hard work. A fine addition to any library's biography and/or black history collections. --Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Elijah McCoy (1844-1929), the child of escaped slaves, was born in Canada and educated in Scotland as an engineer during the Civil War. Settling in Michigan, he was able to find work only as a fireman, stoking the engines of a locomotive and oiling its parts. But his training was not wasted: he invented an automatic lubricator--possibly the original "real McCoy"--and went on to patent other devices, including the portable ironing board and the lawn sprinkler. He eventually founded the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company but never received his due for his work and died alone in a nursing home. First-time author Towle honors her subject's achievements while acknowledging his meager public recognition, while Clay tones down the dynamism he exhibited in Little Eight John to paint sturdy, luminous images of McCoy in action. McCoy himself provides a compelling example of 19th-century African American achievement in the face of discrimination; this respectful biography is a useful addition to library collections. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.