(4) K-3 Story Behind the Name series. Illustrated by Stephanie Dominguez. Glatzer charts George Ferris's journey from a boy longing to do "something big" to meeting the challenge of creating a "novel, original, daring, and unique" centerpiece for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Slick, cartoony digital illustrations accompany an engaging biographical narrative with an uplifting message about the payoff of tenacity. Afterword and critical-thinking questions appended. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. This absorbing picture-book biography of the engineer and inventor focuses on the design, construction, and success of his twenty-six-story observation wheel at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, later known as the Ferris wheel. Young readers will be drawn into Salerno's energetic, bright mixed-media illustrations, which strike the perfect balance between wonder, technical detail, and historical accuracy. "More About George Ferris" is appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gilbert Ford. George Ferris wanted a magnificent, moving symbol for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. But Ferris received little encouragement and had to develop his invention without outside financing and by overcoming numerous unforeseen problems. The straightforward account includes some awkward tangential facts. Ford's digital art with ink and watercolor nicely highlights the finished edifice against a night sky. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas series. This series offers biographical sketches plus information about groundbreaking inventions and innovations in various disciplines. Each inventor is depicted as having genius along with curiosity, patience, dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance. "Real fact" inserts and archival photographs accompany the readable texts; the design suffers from garish graphics and borders. Generic suggestions to encourage young inventors are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas titles: The Man Who Invented the Ferris Wheel, The African-American Heart Surgery Pioneer, The Man Who Invented Television, The Man Who Invented the Electric Guitar, The Man Who Invented the Laser, and The Woman Who Invented the Thread that Stops Bullets.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 I Like Inventors! series. These introductions to the people who came up with innovations we take for granted provide very basic information about their lives, such as their upbringing and motivations, as well as their inventions; there's little about processes, giving readers no sense of the magnitude of their achievements. Photos, many archival, are included in every spread. A related activity ends each title. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these I Like Inventors! titles: Who Invented Home Video Games?, Who Invented Television?, Who Was the Hair-Care Millionaire?, Who Fixed Babies' Hearts?, and Who Invented the Ferris Wheel?.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series. These books present the lives of three very different inventors. Each was brilliant, determined, and, despite adversity, successful. Though the writing tends to oversimplify issues and concepts, the stories are inspiring. The many photographs and occasional diagrams add interest. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies titles: Ferris Wheel!, Electric Guitar Man, and Stopping Bullets with a Thread.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow