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Fascinating accounts of several toys' origins, 20 Nov 2007
Here is a book that can be read and enjoyed by "children of all ages." Although I purchased it when it first appeared (in 2000) and have since read it with grandchildren ranging in age from two to twelve, I never gave much thought to reviewing it until recently when one of the grandchildren borrowed it to read to a friend who was staying overnight. I'm told that the friend later purchased a copy and also shares it with friends. I guess Emanuel Rosen and Seth Godin (as well as countless others) would characterize this as an example of BUZZ. The concept for this book, written by Don Wulffson, is simple...and brilliant: Briefly explain the origin of several of the most popular toys. They include The Slinky, Lego, Mr. Potato Head, Silly Putty, toy soldiers, Checkers, Play-Doh, and kites.
Did you already know that
"Slinky's most recent accomplishment was in outer space. Bunches have gone aboard space shuttles. The purpose: to test the effects of zero gravity on springs."
"Playing with a four-sided top called a dreidel is a Hanukkah tradition. Each side has a Hebrew letter, and the letter on which the dreidel falls determines of the player wins the prize."
"Ironically, after becoming a popular toy, many practical uses have been found for Silly Putty. Mechanics use it to clean equipment, dry cleaners to remove lint, and zookeepers to make casts of animal footprints for purposes of identification."
"Before the Christian era, the Greeks and Arabs made mechanical toys powered by air, water, or mercury."
"In Europe during the Middle Ages, a `hobby' was a high-spirited, medium-sized breed of horse."
"When China's first emperor, Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, died in 210 B.C., he was buried with eight thousand life-size toy soldiers."
"One variation of the game [checkers] was called `losing checkers.' The first player to lose all his pieces wins the game."
"The ingredient that gives Play-Doh its distinctive aroma is vanilla."
"The highest recorded speed for a Ping-Pong ball is 105.6 miles per hour."
"A new pinball machine costs over $1,000. That's not a lot of money when you consider that the profit from one machine is $10,000 to $15,000 a year."
"Kites were named in the sixteenth century after the kite, a type of bird in the hawk family. Kites have a broad wingspan, a long, tapering tail, and can remain in one place in the air by heading into the wind."
These are but a few of several dozen interesting facts about the toys that Don Wulffson includes with his brief but entertaining as well as informative accounts of the origins of several of the most popular toys. Also noteworthy are the delightful illustrations provided by Laurie Keller. During this holiday season, especially, this would be an appropriate companion to one or more of the toys discussed in this book. With or without toys, I highly recommend it.
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