Customers say
Customers find the book entertaining and engaging for kids and adults alike. They appreciate the interesting stories about toys and games. The book is suitable for grades 3-7, and the Slinky toy serves as a good introduction.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
A fresh, intriguing look at the stories behind great toy inventions, by Don Wulffson and illustrated by Laurie Keller.
“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? In Toys! 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.
Publisher : Square Fish; First Edition (December 2, 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 1250034094
ISBN-13 : 978-1250034090
Reading age : 8 – 12 years
Lexile measure : 920L
Grade level : Preschool – 2
Item Weight : 5.7 ounces
Dimensions : 5.2 x 0.55 x 7.6 inches
by Victor T. Bucci
Fun Book for Everyone
This book gives a quick history of some very popular toys. Good for children and adults. A child does not have to read the whole book but may choose chapters about toys that he/she knows and loves.
by Judith J. Bellando
The story behind some classic toys
I’m a Raggedy Ann fan, so reading the story behind the doll was very interesting. Several other stories behind classic toys were also fun to read.
by Amy Rachiele, Author
My son loved this book!
It is hard sometimes to get a child to read an informational book. This won a prize though with my son. He loved learning the history of toys and how they got their start. I didn’t have to force him to read or finish it.
by Emily Bernstein
This is a pretty good way to get kids interested in science and …
This is a pretty good way to get kids interested in science and explain how inventions evolve, as well as just to get their interest. Each little chapter (each on a different invention or type of invention) runs through things in chronological order, then adds some trivia in a bulleted list at the end. I will say that while Amazon lists it as appropriate for grades 3-7, I would agree with the blurbs that place it starting more at the 4th grade level. Third grade students could probably understand it with some support and would really enjoy pieces of it, but a lot of the vocabulary is more appropriate for many 4th or 5th/6th grade levels. I actually read excerpts to my 2nd/3rd grade students and they really enjoyed it, but I had to change some words and skip some pieces to help them understand.
by Janine M
Interesting book for the whole family
Fun book full of interesting stories about toys/games and how they were invented.
by G. Sims
Great for all Ages – I read it Aloud to my Students
I am a teacher and one of our Science modules is called Ideas and Inventions. I have used this book in my classroom for read-aloud time during this unit. The stories are interesting and to-the-point. The students are as interested in the various Toy origin stories as I am.I love discussing with them the humble origins that many of the most memorable toys of the last 100 years come from. You don’t have to be a genius or wealthy to have a great, original idea.
by natalie
Very interesting book
Interesting book about how the toys made with a real story behind it. Unexpected. Attention catching. Kids loved it! So was interesting for a parent to read
by Andrea Cassreino
GREAT facts
I learned so much from this book and I look forward to sharing some of the topics with my 4th grade students when I teach inventions. It is very engaging.
by Amazon Customer
Great! Loads of informaion!
by Ladyharewood
Interesting read