Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!: The Inventive Rube GoldbergA Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines

(Hardback)

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A joyfully illustrated picture book biography of Rube Goldberg for STEM-loving children and the many people who enjoy doing simple tasks the hard way.

Award-winning author Catherine Thimmeshs irresistibly engaging text and artist Shanda McCloskeys energetic, cartoon-style artwork introduce readers to the life and creative legacy of Rube Goldberg, the world-famous inventor of crazy contraptions. A rollicking educational kids' book that is part biography, part inspiration, and part physics how-to, Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll! posits the ultimate question why do anything the simple way (Especially if, for instance, there is a catapult option)

Because, of course, there are lots of things you can do the simple way:
Set an alarm,
flip a switch,
open a door,
toast some bread . . .

But what if, instead, you did things the Rube Goldberg way
Endlessly entertaining,
needlessly complex,
and achieving a delicate balance of physics, humor, and excitement!

The book includes an overview of the six simple machines that power most of Goldbergs inventions and puts the tools for making real-life Rube Goldberg machines right into readers hands. Its the perfect thing to spark the imaginations of budding inventors, artists, and thinkers of all agesbecause the most promising relationships with science start not with a textbook but with the willingness to break stuff and ask silly questions!

Reviews

"Balancing humor, creativity, and science, Thimmesh has crafted a work Goldberg himself would approve of. McCloskey's exuberant cartoon illustrations make the science easy to grasp. Funny, chock-full of science, and wonderfully complicated --like its subject matter." -- Kirkus, Starred Review

"Delivers a gleeful... celebration of the iconic cartoonist's life and work, combined with an invitation to experience the joy of exploring principles of physics." -- Booklist, Starred Review

"An excellent physics primer and inspiration for young engineers." -- School Library Journal

Author Bio

Catherine Thimmesh is an award-winning author, speaker, and creativity educator.Her creative childrens nonfiction titles have won numerous awards, including the prestigious Sibert Medal forTeam Moon:How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moonand a Sibert Honor for Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild. Madam President was a New York Times Notable book, andher bestselling Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Womenwon the IRA Childrens Book Award and was followed by Girls Solve Everything: Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Building a Better World.You can watch her discuss the importance of creativity in her TEDx Talk, Creativity in the Classroom (in 5 minutes or less!), on YouTube or her website, catherinethimmesh.com. Catherine lives near Minneapolis, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Shanda McCloskeyis the award-winning author and illustrator of STEM-friendly picture books likeDoll-E 1.0,a 2019 NSTA Best STEM Book Winner, andT-Bone the Drone, a Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr. Nominee. Shelives in Ball Ground, Georgia, and enjoysvisiting schools.Learn more atshandamc.com.