The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story about an Accidental Invention by Barry Wittenstein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ouch! Ow! My gosh that hurts! We all get boo-boos. Cuts, scratches, scrapes, brush burns and the like and in that instance, that moment of pain and discomfort, it is likely that you may have covered it right up with a Band-Aid. It calms the tears of our little ones and eases our way back to the task at hand for many. But had you ever thought about who invented this handy little essential piece to every first-aid kit? Why was it invented, when, and how? As Barry Wittenstein points out in his Author Note, “Every invention has a history.”
Most inventions are created out of necessity. They are invented “because they fill a need” (Wittenstein). In The Boo-Boos That Changed the World, we learn that Earle Dickson’s (New Brunswick, NJ) inventing the Band-Aid came out of a desire to help his wife Josephine who was prone to getting cuts and burns and well, you know, boo-boos. He wanted to help her alleviate the pain and stop any bleeding in a way that was safe and sanitary so that she could comfortably get back to business. Realizing that this need went beyond simply helping his wife, Earle took his idea to his boss who agreed to produce and sell Band-Aids. They were used by Boy Scouts, soldiers, and eventually people all over the world.
What I enjoyed most about this book is the glimpse that it provides into the creative, inventive process. Starting with the desire to fill a need, to seeing Earle thinking and brainstorming, until he has that aha, light bulb moment, to testing things out through trial and error. Giving the reader a chance to see what worked and what didn’t. An authentic look at the work that goes into inventing.
With the 1ooth year anniversary of the Band-Aid approaching in 2020 (as mentioned in the Author’s Note), now’s the perfect time to add this picture book to your collection. Many of us are on the hunt for good, age-appropriate, engaging nonfiction and informational texts to add to our collections. This is one I believe you should add to your list of acquisitions.
Shout-Outs
Barry Wittenstein | https://onedogwoof.com/
Illustrator Chris Hsu | https://chrishsu.net/
Charlesbridge | https://charlesbridge.com/
Book Excursion | PLN Group of Rockstar Reading Educators| #BookExcursion
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 
That sounds like an interesting book that might inspire children to be inventors themselves.
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This book is inspiring to anyone who has that need to invent something to help themselves and the lives of others.
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