Izzy Gizmo

by Pip Jones, Sara Ogilvie (Illustrator)

Overview

A young Black girl builds confidence in her engineering skills as she helps an injured crow fly again in this vibrant, STEAM-infused tale of determination, ingenuity, and friendship.

Izzy Gizmo's inventions are marvelous, magnificent...and often malfunction. Despite the fact that she loves to invent, it never seems to work out in her favor. But when she finds a crow with a broken wing, she has to help!

Izzy tries again and again to build the crow a new pair of wings, but nothing is working. Can Izzy overcome her failures? Or is her friend destined to live as a crow who can't fly?

Author Pip Jones tells an inspiring story of creativity and perseverance in the face of failure while spotlighting friendship and intergenerational relationships. Bright, zany art from the acclaimed Sara Ogilvie adds to the zeal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682630211
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	520,252
Product dimensions:	10.40(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Pip Jones spent her childhood gobbling up books and dreaming about being an author. At nineteen, she began a career in journalism, and in 2014, she published her first book. Pip is most often found writing, staring at the contents of the fridge, or herding her two children. She lives in England.

Sara Ogilvie studied illustration and printmaking at Edinburgh College of Art. In addition to illustrating children's books, Sara exhibits across the UK and abroad and creates images for editorial, design, and advertising. She lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

"The bright pops of color make the artwork vivid and appealing. The text is full of challenging new words for young readers and the text rhymes, which allows the story to flow in a fun, inventive way. The theme of not giving up after a first, second, and third failure will resonate with readers of all ages. This book will inspire kids to get out there and to try new things."—School Library Journal

"This story of a girl engineer is sorely needed and has potential to develop and nourish readers' interest in STEAM subjects. Additionally, themes of creativity and tenacity, together with the portrayal of a girl who's allowed to show anger and frustration, make this a worthwhile read. Fun, with depth.""—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—Izzy is a girl who loves inventing machines that help out; you name it, and she's invented it. One day, a crow breaks its wing, and she is determined to help him out with her inventions because no crow should be bored when he can't fly. Sadly, she does not succeed right away, but soon learns not to give up thanks to her grandpa's great advice. Frustrations ensue, but through hard work and dedication, Izzy is able to succeed in the end. The vibrant illustrations are lively and pair well with the story. The bright pops of color make the artwork vivid and appealing. The text is full of challenging new words for young readers and the text rhymes, which allows the story to flow in a fun, inventive way. VERDICT The theme of not giving up after a first, second, and third failure will resonate with readers of all ages. This book will inspire kids to get out there and to try new things.—Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

School Library Journal

2018-01-22
Young inventor Izzy attempts to help an injured crow fly again.Izzy Gizmo loves making things. She loves creating, mending, and improving so much so that she carries "her tool bag wherever she [goes]." Sadly, however, her inventions "don't always work." In rhyming verse, readers are told exactly how Izzy's inventions misbehave, while the colorful illustrations highlight their complexity. Frustrated Izzy is encouraged by her caregiver grandfather, who, though the victim of her misbehaving innovations, dispenses this advice: "Sometimes you need / to try again and again if you want to succeed." When Izzy discovers an injured crow that the vet says won't fly again, she engages it in fun, earthbound activities, but the crow's heart is still in the skies. Izzy decides to use her talents to make the crow new wings: she researches, makes lists, and gathers parts, but like her previous inventions, none of the wings work properly. At many points along the way, curly-haired, brown-skinned Izzy wants to quit—and says so—but continues to persevere and in the end succeeds. Though readers may wonder if the rhymes were necessary, this story of a girl engineer is sorely needed and has potential to develop and nourish readers' interest in STEAM subjects. Additionally, themes of creativity and tenacity, together with the portrayal of a girl who's allowed to show anger and frustration, make this a worthwhile read. Fun, with depth. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews