School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Lonnie Johnson was the kind of kid who today would be found tinkering with LEGO bricks and Minecraft, but he was born in 1949 in Alabama during legal segregation, so pursuing his passion of building things was a daunting challenge. Perseverance and hard work aided Johnson in earning a degree in nuclear engineering from Tuskegee Institute and later a job with NASA. He continued to explore and invent, finally creating the toy that has become a huge success: the Super Soaker. He endured many failed attempts to get a toy company to market his invention before he found a backer. The Super Soaker is now one of the top 20 toys sold each year. Capably narrated by JD Jackson, this brief biography has two tracks, one with page-turn signals and one without. Most listeners will want to see the illustrations in the print book. VERDICT Johnson's is an inspiring biography suitable for all collections; libraries should also have the print version available. ["Highly recommended for STEM and maker collections": SLJ 5/16 review of the Charlesbridge book.]-Debbie Whitbeck, formerly at West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Homemade robots, space probes, pressurized water rifles-the story of African-American inventor Lonnie Johnson is tailor-made for a young audience, and Barton and Tate do it justice in this inspiring account of a man driven toward innovation against the odds. Johnson's interest in engineering blossomed at an early age, and he went on to work on NASA's Galileo project and design what would become the popular Super Soaker water gun. Barton makes clear how Johnson struggled in his unconventional line of work, and also shows the rewards of his persistence. Tate's inviting digital illustrations bring an appropriately playful air to the pages, especially in a foldout spread showing the Super Soaker's blast in all of its glory. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
From childhood, African American inventor Johnson was a tinkerer: "Lonnie loved building and creating. Ideas for inventions just kept on flowing." We learn about how young Lonnie made model rocketsand rocket fuel ("When it caught fire in the kitchen, Lonnie's mom didn't make him stop. She just sent him to work outside")and how in 1968 the robot he built won first place at a science fair held at the University of Alabama, "where only five years earlier, African American students hadn't even been allowed." We learn of his college life at Tuskegee Institute (he was known to study even during his own parties, complete with a light-and-sound system he created); his breakthrough engineering work for NASA; and his development of a super-blast water gun. Barton describes Johnson's ups and downs before he finally sold his Super Soaker to a toy company, but the straightforward text has a generally upbeat, you-can-do-it attitude. Tate's clear digital illustrations, with their time-period-appropriate details in dcor and clothing (from pegged jeans to bell-bottoms to cut-off shorts with knee socks) help situate readers; there's no timeline provided (or even a birth year for Johnson). An appended note discusses Barton's inspirationto draw attention to diversity within the scientific communityand encourages readers to "put this book down, step away from the computer screen, and get permission to take something apart." Terrific front and back end-papers provide simple schematics of some of Lonnie Johnson's inventions. elissa gershowitz(c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A tinkering African-American boy grows up to become the inventor of a very popular toy. Lonnie Johnson always tinkered with something. As a kid, he built rockets and launched them in the park amid a crowd of friends. (He even made the rocket's fuel, which once caught fire in the kitchen. Oops.) As an adult he worked for NASA and helped to power the spacecraft Galileo as it explored Jupiter. But nothing is as memorable in the minds of kids as his most famous invention (to date): the Super-Soaker. While testing out a new cooling method for refrigerators, Johnson accidentally sprayed his entire bathroom, and the idea was born. However, the high-powered water gun was not an instant success. Barton shows the tenacity and dedication (and, sometimes, plain good timing) needed to prove ideas. From the initial blast of water that splashes the word "WHOOSH" across the page (and many pages after) to the gatefold that transforms into the Larami toy executives' (tellingly, mostly white) reactions"WOW!"Tate plays up the pressurized-water imagery to the hilt. In a thoughtful author's note, Barton explains how Johnson challenges the stereotypical white, Einstein-like vision of a scientist. A delightfully child-friendly and painfully necessary diversification of the science field. (Picture book/biography. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This picture book biography tells the story of Lonnie Johnson, kid rocket launcher, teen robot builder, adult NASA engineer, and inventor of the Super Soaker water toy. The story documents his perseverance in overcoming obstacles, some stemming from being African American a school aptitude text that indicated he was not cut out to be an engineer, the prejudice he and his high-school team experienced while winning the 1968 University of Alabama science fair, and professional doubts concerning his abilities. The narrative also covers his initial failure at becoming a self-employed entrepreneur, remedied only by the hard-won success of the Super Soaker. The text emphasizes the continuing support he received from his family, and the vibrant illustrations are especially effective at capturing expressions and mannerisms that bring Johnson to life (as when Johnson and his fellow Tuskegee Institute students party to a sound and light system constructed from left-over electronics). This upbeat tribute makes an engaging and inspiring addition to STEM collections.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2016 Booklist
