The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle: The Cool Science Behind Frank Epperson's Famous Frozen Treat

by Anne Renaud, Milan Pavlovic

Overview

A lively tale of a cool invention. Frank William Epperson is a curious boy who loves inventing. And since inventing begins with experimenting, he spends a lot of time in his “laboratory” (i.e., his back porch) trying out his ideas. When he invents a yummy flavored soda water drink, his friends love it! And this gets him thinking: “I wonder what this drink would taste like frozen?” Though he doesn’t yet know it, Frank’s curiosity will lead to his best invention ever: the Popsicle! This delicious story includes hands-on experiments and is sure to whet the appetites of budding inventors everywhere!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525303838
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	78 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anne Renaud has written over a dozen books for children, including picture books and nonfiction such as The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan and Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.;Milan Pavlović is an illustrator and graphic artist whose drawings, illustrations, paintings and comics have been published and exhibited internationally. He teaches at OCAD University and Seneca College. His books include Seamus's Short Story and The Snuggly. He lives with his family in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

Sweet.—Kirkus Reviews

An upbeat, biographical picture book with plenty of kid appeal.—Booklist

... delightful ...—The Globe and Mail

The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle will certainly engage young readers ...—CM Magazine

... an inspiring story of a young person's passion and perseverance.—School Library Journal

... an ideal book to share with any budding natural science enthusiast or fan of frozen treats!—Montreal Review of Books

From the Publisher

2019-06-25
Boxing is known as the sweet science, but the inventor of the Popsicle, might disagree.

Born in 1894, Frank William Epperson always seemed to know he wanted to be a great inventor when he grew up. He was an inquisitive young boy, always pondering big questions: "Do goldfish sleep? Do ants have ears? Do woodpeckers get headaches from pecking all day?" Frank's back porch was his laboratory, where he "tinkered and tested. Analyzed and scrutinized." When he was 10, he built a handcar with two handles and zipped around the neighborhood. But it was his interest in liquids, flavored soda waters in particular, that led to his great invention. One unusually cold San Francisco night in 1905, he left one of his drinks outside, and by morning it had frozen. "He had invented a frozen drink on a stick!" But it wasn't until years later that the adult Epperson acted on the memory. He created a box in which he could freeze several test tubes filled with fruit juice and created the Ep-sicle to sell at shops, county fairs, and beaches. Pavlović's exuberant mixed-media illustrations are the perfect complement to Renaud's lively text. They even intersperse science experiments to help young readers understand the science behind Frank's procedures. Epperson, his family, and his environs were white; the final double-page spread offers a diverse cast of characters united in their love of Epperson's invention, now called Popsicles.

Sweet. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews