I remember an activity in my social studies methods class - the professor gave us each a card with a different invention and we had to try and line up in chronological order. Some of my classmates were surprised at how long automobiles or other machines had been around. This book is going to give that same feeling of surprise about the dishwasher.
From the start this story lets readers know that Josephine "was a modern woman who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty." That thought may stir up a bit of cognitive dissonance, a woman in the late 1800s as modern. But as the text explains, she came from a family that enjoyed the challenge of solving problems and from a time when other inventors were hard at work.
The juxtaposition of being "stuck at the sink washing dirty plates" rather than the things she really enjoyed like playing the piano, frosting cakes, or petting her dogs will make her motivation plain to children. Who wouldn't rather spend time with their pets than do household chores? The narrative is also a wonderful introduction to the entire process of working, refining, patenting, then marketing a new invention.
Illustrations capture scenes of Josephine frowning over chipped teacups, sketching her ideas in a notebook, and taking a wrench to her machine to make adjustments. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of diagrams for her dishwasher as well as other inventions such as Sarah Goode's convertible bed/desk and Margaret Knight's paper grocery bag machine.
Back matter includes an author's note about Josephine accompanied by a photo and an image of her patent application. There are also two pages of other "Notable Women Inventors," a "Timeline of Fascinating Inventions," and a list of sources and picture credits.
Perfect for units on women in STEM, inventors, the engineering design process, and related topics. Fresh off the presses at Calkins Creek on March 14, 2023.
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