With magnificent dioramic illustrations, Gilbert Ford captures the joy, creativity, and determination behind the invention of an iconic, one-of-a-kind toy: the Slinky!
One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walk…and so did Richard’s imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled onto something marvelous.
With the help of his wife, Betty, Richard took this ordinary spring and turned it into a plaything. But it wasn’t just any old trinket—it was a Slinky, and it would become one of the most popular toys in American history.
One day, a spring fell from the desk of Richard James, an engineer and a dreamer. Its coils took a walk and so did Richard's imagination. He knew right away that he had stumbled onto something marvelous. With the help of his wife Betty, Richard took this ordinary spring and turned it into a plaything. But it wasn't just any old trinket: it was a Slinky, and it would become one of the most popular toys in American history.
"A memorable toy slunk into baby boomers' lives in the 1950s. What fun to read about how Slinky got its start in “The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring,” a book that celebrates happenstances and toys of old.... Ford’s rendition details “The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation" in entertaining text, and illustrations conceived in a most unique way.... Everything from how the toy got its name, to doubts others had about its success and more are included in this book, proof-positive that non-fiction can be fun to read, and informative. This one should appeal to readers in first through fourth grade."
