WOOOSH! by Chris Barton & Don Tate
HARDCOVER
Author: Chris Barton
Illustrator: Don Tate
Energetic, inspiring, and full of invention, WOOOSH! is a brilliant STEM picture book biography that celebrates curiosity, persistence, and the surprising power of creative thinking.
You know the Super Soaker - one of the most popular toys of all time. But did you know it was invented by accident? While working on a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, engineer Lonnie Johnson noticed something unexpected: the technology he was developing made an incredible water-blasting stream. That happy accident would eventually become the Super Soaker - but Lonnie’s story starts long before that.
As a child, Lonnie loved rockets, robots, and figuring out how things worked. Growing up with lots of siblings, he learned persistence, creativity, and problem-solving - skills that later led him to a career in engineering and work with NASA. His inventions changed industries, but the Super Soaker made the biggest splash of all.
Written by Chris Barton and illustrated with bold, expressive energy by Don Tate, Wooosh! makes innovation exciting, accessible, and fun. This is a true, inspiring story behind a beloved toy, that celebrates curiosity, experimentation, and problem-solving.
Perfect for STEM learning and inventor role models, and ideal for curious minds, Wooosh! shows that big ideas can come from unexpected moments - and that creativity, persistence, and curiosity can change the world.