(2) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. Goldberg (1883–1970) dreamed of becoming a newspaper cartoonist but initially studied engineering. Eventually Goldberg was hired as a cartoonist at the New York Evening Mail, where he concocted the "screwball contraptions" we now call Rube Goldberg machines. Aronson notes that Goldberg "drew comics to make us look closer"; fittingly, this thoughtful, playful picture-book biography does just that, with whimsical pencil, ink, and digital illustrations capturing the intricacies of the imagined machines. Bib.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ed Steckley. George leverages the legacy of her grandfather, inventive cartoonist Rube Goldberg, to hustle for STEAM curricular tie-ins (classroom tips included). A drawn-out story follows bespectacled child Rube going to great lengths to avoid effort in his day with fourteen impractical feats of engineering (based on Goldberg creations), culminating in a gatefold. Using pen-and-ink and watercolor, Steckley skillfully emulates Goldberg but with a more child-friendly touch.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin