mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Yes. Ben Franklin. Swimming naked. Inventing Swim Fins well kind of. Always been a Franklin fan. And in my kid's biography of him I remember him swimming naked and being pulled by a kite. But I don't remember swim fins. A great fun book. And a great take on one of my most favorite historical figures.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
Great picture book biography. Loved the lesson on perseverance and continuing to work on a problem until he could find a solution. Fun mentor text for writing.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting to learn about Ben Franklin's first experiment/invention. I liked the wording of the text in this book and how it highlighted certain words. Good author's note at the end explaining what is true and made up for story.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
When Ben Franklin was eleven years old, he came up with his first invention. Although most people did not go swimming at the time, young Ben loved to swim. While studying the fish in the river, he tried to come up with things he could wear that would improve his own swimming. An interesting look at his inventing process, especially how he approached successes and failures. Recommended for grades 1-3.
jshettel's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting micro bio about Ben Franklin’s passion for swimming and his invention of swim paddles and fins.
sarahrusty's review against another edition
4.0
Great message of never giving up on your imagination. I never knew that the majority of people didn't know how to swim during this time period. Great introduction to the scientific method for juvenile readers. Ben didn't care what others thought of him and kept trying. This book illustrates the message of perseverance perfectly.
teganbeese's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting! I had no idea that this was his first invention! I also like all the added info at the end. All of the scenes were very detailed. Monarch 2018 Nominee.
erine's review against another edition
4.0
If you're not comfortable with words starting with "S" don't read this aloud. Otherwise it's a great book to read, and has the added bonus of encouraging kids to keep working until they find the solution to their problem.
tashrow's review
4.0
Ben Franklin grew up the son of a soap maker and loved to spend his free time on summer days swimming in the river near his home. In the time of his childhood, people just did not swim or wash regularly because they thought it would make you sick, so Ben was considered rather odd for the amount of time he spent in the water. As he swam, Ben started to wonder why it was that fish swim so much better than he could. And so Ben starts to come up with inventions that would help him swim like a fish. First, he made swim fins for his hands out of wood and they did make him much faster, but they also made his wrists sore and tired. The next invention was swim sandals, but they didn’t improve things much since they slid off his feet. But Ben was not a quitter and so he took each defeat as a way to improve his idea. After all, he was a scientist through and through.
Rosenstock sets just the right playful and rather silly tone with this biographical picture book. She includes plenty of details about the society in the 1700s and how it was different from our modern one. Using different fonts and repeating words, she also emphasizes the importance of trial and error in science and solving problems. She also ties in the fact that this is how science works and how scientists learn things, along with a healthy dose of dedication and resolve.
The illustrations by Schindler are marvelous, cleverly covering up the more private parts of the naked swimming boy with splashes and waves. They have a light-hearted quality to them and also a visual lightness that makes the book even funnier as they swim across the page.
A book to inspire children to try to solve problems they discover, this is a fresh and summery look at a boy genius at play. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
Rosenstock sets just the right playful and rather silly tone with this biographical picture book. She includes plenty of details about the society in the 1700s and how it was different from our modern one. Using different fonts and repeating words, she also emphasizes the importance of trial and error in science and solving problems. She also ties in the fact that this is how science works and how scientists learn things, along with a healthy dose of dedication and resolve.
The illustrations by Schindler are marvelous, cleverly covering up the more private parts of the naked swimming boy with splashes and waves. They have a light-hearted quality to them and also a visual lightness that makes the book even funnier as they swim across the page.
A book to inspire children to try to solve problems they discover, this is a fresh and summery look at a boy genius at play. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
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