Alternating between the two inventors, this informational text reveals a fascinating story of innovation, determination, and friendship. Details about Inventions, Source Notes, Timeline, Author’s Note, Illustrator’s Note, Bibliography.

This book is aimed at lower grades K-2 and is all about famous inventor's Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. This book would be a great one to read to talk about why people experiment and what engineering, experimenting, and being curious can lead to incredible inventions. It also talks about how during the process of inventing it takes trial and error to make something that works the way you are wanting it to. You have to look into the "why" behind the way things work. This would be a great book to use to talk about attitudes behind scientific exploration such as curiosity, perseverance, imagination, etc. ( )

I LOVE that these two were actually best friends and that this story doesn’t change how they met. This captures that friendship really well and their bond over inventions. 
While most of the kid’s experiments were talked about in an enduring way, I say now: Don’t experiment on your animals, and don’t make it sounds cute. 
The good news is despite that this book is cute! It shows the back and fourth of Henry and Thomas growing up and admiring each other’s inventions from afar. I think the team work aspect of science is more times then not over looked, or one name takes credit, and this book kind of pays tribute that to be a scientist is to not be truly in a competition but to make discoveries, and that often takes teamwork.
It also shows these two friends never giving up on their ideas and proving that just because one person doesn’t believe in what you can do doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. 


I am admittedly a bit of a history geek and especially find innovative creators in history fascinating. The fact that this interaction between Thomas Edison and Henry Ford happened is very interesting to me and I'm sure it is very encouraging to creative, inventive children who read this book. It is so important with anything you do to 'keep at it'. Life is full of trial and error, fails and misses. The important thing is that we don't give up and we don't let ourselves feel defeated. We 'keep at it'. ( )

Henry Ford is driven (pun intended) to create a gasoline powered vehicle, yet his inventions never succeed. One day he is able to meet with Thomas Edison, who he looks up to as an inventor. Edison gives Ford the secret to success as an inventor.