lornarei's review against another edition
4.0
What a great little story -- no surprise it landed on so many "best" lists. The colors and retro look caught my eye, but the story was well-told and will appeal to kids. I especially liked, a la "Wizard of Oz" that the illustrations began in black and white and color was added in as the tale progressed. A quick, fun, educational read!
annakim's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book with wonderfully bright colors. How often have we walked by something so cool, without even noticing it? This book will make you realize how something that has become as common as nail polish color actually had humble and amazing origins.
mrsbond's review against another edition
4.0
Unexpected and interesting history of day-glo, those bright colors found in highlighters, safety gear, and terribly popular for clothing in the 80's. Turns out 2 brothers from Montana accidentally invented the daylight fluorescent paint. Neat to see the two very different personalities work together, approaching the problem with their unique ideas to find a solution. As expected, fantastic use of color throughout.
ryckmanreader's review against another edition
4.0
I did not know anything about the Switzer brothers and I am glad I picked up this book about them and their amazing invention. It is a book that students age 8-12 would enjoy. This is a story that might really appeal to boys especially. The history of the brothers and their antics sounds just like most brothers. The impact of day-glo was more than just for fun it was important. I think student will like to read all about it.
apetruce's review against another edition
4.0
Neat story about how day-glo paint was developed. You wouldn't think it'd be interesting, but it really is. And it's nice how determination and different work styles can create a terrific end product. It also tells us how this daytime florescence is important and what it's meant for U.S. history -- in defense and art, for example. And it gently gets into the chemistry of the paint. Neat book.
curiouslibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 3.5 from me.
With its day-glo colors both on the cover and inside, this is certainly an eye-catching book. Which is the point, of course. It is the story of the brothers who created day-glo paints and dyes. Until I picked up this book, I can't say that it ever occurred to me to wonder how or when these colors were created. But the story is fairly interesting, and full of little anecdotes which intrigue the historian in me (an author's note at the end talks about the process of interviewing family members, so there are certainly tidbits in here that won't show up elsewhere). The back matter includes explanations of fluorescence and "day-glo" and points readers to an animation online further illustrating these concepts.
Without these brothers, my childhood in the 1980s would have been very different. But the illustrations are a little headache-inducing to my adult eyes. Not terrible, but a little hard to look at.
Something a little different for those biography projects. Recommended for grades 3-5.
With its day-glo colors both on the cover and inside, this is certainly an eye-catching book. Which is the point, of course. It is the story of the brothers who created day-glo paints and dyes. Until I picked up this book, I can't say that it ever occurred to me to wonder how or when these colors were created. But the story is fairly interesting, and full of little anecdotes which intrigue the historian in me (an author's note at the end talks about the process of interviewing family members, so there are certainly tidbits in here that won't show up elsewhere). The back matter includes explanations of fluorescence and "day-glo" and points readers to an animation online further illustrating these concepts.
Without these brothers, my childhood in the 1980s would have been very different. But the illustrations are a little headache-inducing to my adult eyes. Not terrible, but a little hard to look at.
Something a little different for those biography projects. Recommended for grades 3-5.
freybrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I am in love with Tony Persiani's retro illustrations in this nonfiction picture book! They fit so perfectly with Chris Barton's quirky story about the lives of Bob and Joe Switzer and the invention of Day-Glo colors. The Day-Glo Brothers is definitely a fun read! My only complaints: the text is a tiny bit too small and the explanation of the science behind the invention a tiny bit lacking.
abigailbat's review against another edition
5.0
Read full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-review-day-glo-brothers.html
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-review-day-glo-brothers.html
libraryrobin's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent biography that reads like a story with fun cartoon illustrations, this is sure to appeal to readers in middle grades.