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The idea for the Slinky came one day in the 1940s when a spare coil fell off a shelf above the desk of a Navy engineer named Richard James. Richard's wife, Betty, managed marketing and operations for the toy start-up, and Richard pounded the pavement to make their first sale.
The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation By Gilbert Ford. 2016. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 40 pp. Ages 4 to 8.
The Slinky, one of the most popular toys in America, was invented quite by accident. The idea for the Slinky came one day in the 1940s when a spare coil fell off a shelf above the desk of a Navy engineer named Richard James. The coil's bouncing fascinated him, and he realized it made a marvelous toy. His son gave it a test run and concurred. The Slinky was soon in production. Richard's wife, Betty, managed marketing and operations for the toy start-up, and Richard pounded the pavement to make their first sale. It became a near-instant hit.
This peppy story is illustrated with digitally rendered drawings and photographed dioramas made with old-fashioned toys. The characters reflect the style of the 1940s and 1950s. But Ford was careful to overcome some of the biases of the time by including racially diverse characters in his illustrations. He also highlights the fact that Betty was a capable and significant partner in the business.
Copyright National Association for the Education of Young Children Sep 2017