As I mentioned earlier, and as you already know, March is National Women’s History Month here in the US. It also is National Women Inventors Month and Gender Equality Month. And today, March 8th happens to be International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is #BalanceforBetter.
I am lucky to have known, and know, many super-women, among my family and friends. They are my everyday heroes, my first and closest inspiration, my role models whom I can actually interact with.
And everyone has ideas to make lives easier in the various mantles we assume each day. Sharing and using these ideas makes all our lives run more smoothly and efficiently.
In my previous post, I talked about posting about books to read for this month and beyond. Today’s featured book includes women like those I mentioned earlier – women who strove to solve a problem they saw around them, and thus effectively granted a boon to many around the world.
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Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women
Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women
15 incredible inventions from inspiring women!
by Aitziber Lopez
Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions
Children’s Nonfiction
Pub Date 05 Mar 2019
Description:
Discover the stories behind 15 of the twentieth century’s key inventions in this fun and informative treasury of trailblazing women, who each made a unique contribution to the history of science and technology.
Car heaters…Monopoly…Disposable diapers…The dishwasher…Kevlar…Maritime flares… Anti-reflective glass…Wifi…Syringes…Submarine periscopes…Diagnostic tests…Lifeboats…Windshield wipers…Ebooks…What do each of these revolutionary inventions have in common? They were all pioneered by women!
Each brilliant idea is presented with biographical information about the brilliant woman who came up with it, including what inspired them. Learn how Martha Coston disguised herself as a man to contact pyrotechnicians and convince them to manufacture her idea for maritime flares, how a New York tram ride on a wet winter’s day led Mary Anderson to invent the windshield wiper, and why Letitia Mumford Geer’s one-hand operated syringe was a medical breakthrough, among other fascinating facts. Full-page illustrations show the inspiration for and use of these incredible inventions in humorous detail.
From lifeboat-inventor, Maria Beasley, to the grandmother of the ebook, Ángela Ruiz Robles, each of the inspiring women in this book achieved their goal of leaving the world a better place than they found it.
My Thoughts:
Delightful discoveries on every page. That was my first thought as I read this book. Other thoughts included – ‘Who knew?’, ‘Really!’, ‘So this is how this came about :)!’, and so on.
It is simply full of ‘proud-that-I-am-a-woman’ moments when I read this book. Women account for so many wonderful, useful, making-everyday-lives-easier-better-safer inventions that I did not know about earlier (and that is definitely one of the reasons we need books like these). And you will learn about them too in ‘Brilliant Ideas from Wonderful Women’.
I love that the sections for each woman includes more than just the brilliant idea. It also includes the inspiration behind the brilliant idea and the efforts the women had to take to bring their idea to reality (dress like a man – check; keep going at it in-spite of obstacles galore – check; and more).
In addition, little data ‘bubbles’ around the pages provide some more fun stuff; such as, other ideas these wonderful women are credited with and/or some additional interesting facts about them.
I love that this can lead to encouraging more girls towards STEM by showing them that if these women could do it in-spite of all the obstacles they faced, girls today can definitely #MakeWhatsNext with all the opportunities they have.
Last but not the least, the illustrations! They are bright, full of whimsical details, informative, and totally creative to fit perfectly with brilliant ideas and wonderful women, with just the right touch of humor too.
The Dishwasher: Josephine Garis Cochrane
(Image from the Publisher – on Amazon)
Additional Notes:
- I do wonder why the book cover uses the word ‘by‘ (Brilliant Ideas By Wonderful Women), while everywhere else, the title has the word ‘from‘ (Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women) instead.
- This book includes only women from the USA. Again, the pros of this book overpower this caveat and I hope the author and illustrator work together to create more books to include a diverse set of women around the world.
- Since this book is aimed at really younger audiences, a helpful glossary of ‘big’ words used in the book would have made the book even better. Including an index of additional resources for the older reader to look into would be another wonderful plus for this book, if possible (maybe in a future edition or in the next book like this)
- And a minor, minor caveat: the e-arc I used for review purposes had some issues – missing words mainly between pages – lost in …. whatever. But I am hoping and am sure the published edition will be without any such errors. Note that this does not detract from the wonders of the book!
In Summary:
This is one brilliant book where there is something for everyone to discover. And you might be inspired to come up with brilliant ideas of your own which will be used all over the world sometime in the future!
A great addition to any school library (and homes too). To encourage more girls towards and to stay in STEM programs, to inspire everyone to explore and to work to make their ideas a reality.
Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 5 – 8 years (and above as well!)
Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts as I read the book.
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I can understand your thoughts on this having just US women who are amazing. However I would still show my grandchildren it because it showcases amazing women.
Thanks Tasha.. I am sure another book to include more women from around the world by the publishers and authors can easily rectify this issue (and this will be good as a series).. and am sure your grandchildren will love the book and you can buy it for them right from my blog using those links
Love this
thank you DJ:)
This sounds like a great read. Perfect for younger audiences. Thanks for sharing.
Gemma @ Gemma’s Book Nook
Thanks Gemma.. this will appeal to the younger ones for sure.
What a wonderful sounding book. I love it. Great review.
thanks Stacey:)
I love books like this! I am going to read it with my daughter. Thank you.
thank you Autumn for your comments and support!
This is such a cute book. Thanks for sharing it.
thank you!
Happy Women’s Day! It was awesome to celebrate with some posts by some of my favorite book blogging ladies like yourself.
Kate, you have left me feeling wonderful with your comment that you consider me among your favorite book blogging ladies (and you are among mine as well!!) 🙂
Wow, that’s interesting! I hadn’t heard of the book before but, after reading your post, I definitely want to read it with my daughters. Thank you!
thank you! you can check it out from any of the links I have on the post to make it easy for you :)and i know this book delighted me with all i learned
So great! I have two daughters and have recently thought about how I need to start introducing books like this. Also, I think it’s so funny that a woman invented disposable diapers, but then, of course they would!!!
🙂 yes, that is true.. for today, i am looking towards a laundry folder, at least one of the things that i can do with really (can i build it? if not, will inspire my kids to do so)
Great review, this book looks and sounds like such an amazing fun and cute book, I’m really glad you fully enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
🙂
That looks like a really great book. I’ll have to look for it for my niece to read, she needs to learn more history with females in it.
thanks Luci.. you can use the links on my post to look for the best place to get it from.:)
Maybe they need to further amend the title to say “American Women”,Vidya.
Nevertheless, I’m adding this book to my gift list.
thanks Roy! maybe they could have and I am hoping for a series with women from other parts of the world 🙂
Thanks for the review. It looks like a good book about amazing women!
thank you Allison!
Always interesting to go back to history and know such information. Women has contributions already way back so reading the book might just add more things to that.
thanks Michael for your comment 🙂
I was just browsing Amazon looking for a new book to read. Now I am glad I found a really good one on your blog 🙂
thank you Gena! glad you think so
Thanks for the review, it’s so helpful. I was really looking for a nice book to read nowadays..
thanks Surekha, glad to help
This book looks so interesting.. I would really love to read this book one of these days..
Very enticing on how you review the book! Definitely capture my interest and I’m gonna hunt this book to check out!
thank you Liz.. It is available on all those retailers I linked to on my post to make it easy for you
Sounds like a fantastic read! It actually made me want to buy the book and read it for myself
go ahead and use those links to buy it 🙂 thank you for your continued support Lyosha!
I just added it to cart today after reading review yesterday. I gotta check out your website for more books. U have a good choice.
thank you for supporting my blog Monidipa !
This sounds like a really informative read in a super fun format! I’ll have to check it out!
thanks, it is that – fun and informative.. do check it out
My role models and the women who inspire most are also my mother and aunts who faced many challenges and obstacles in their lives but overcame them with grace and dignity to raise healthy happy families. I suspect the reason that many of these inventions you mentioned became a part of our lives without us even realising they were designed by women is that women usually get on with the job and don’t make a fuss about the great and important things that comes out of it.
so true Razena.. thanks for your comments.. and yes, it is family where I found my first and most inspiring role models as well
This is the kind of book I love to read. I may have to look for it on Amazon. Thanks for sharing your review!
thank you Jocelyn – and I have the Amazon link for you right next to the book info:)
This sounds like a great book and definitely one to read. I have been trying to read more this year – this sounds faB!
thank you Laura..
Great post and book review. Sounds like a very informative book. I’ll have to give it a read sometime! Thanks or sharing.
you’re welcome Gill!
it is Gill!
I really like the sound of this book. I will be reading it asap. Thanks for reviewing it.
thank you!
Amazing stuff, a book like that is amazing fitting for a month such as this!
I love that you found something on every page! I need to take a peek. It sounds oh so inspiring!
It is inspiring!