KIRKUS REVIEW - STARRED REVIEW
A look not just at the invention (or not) of earmuffs, but at the process of inventing and the way that history can rewrite itself.
Every year in the beginning of December, the town of Farmington, Maine, has a parade in which all the participants (cars, buses, trucks, included) wear earmuffs. This parade celebrates Chester Greenwood, who was not the inventor of earmuffs. Wait. What? That’s right. Chester Greenwood did not invent earmuffs; he improved the designs of other inventors, applied for a patent and is misremembered today as the inventor of the ubiquitous ear coverings so popular in cold climates. In her latest nonfiction title, McCarthy looks at how this happened, along the way delivering tidbits about patents; the lives of Greenwood and his wife, Isabel, who was active in the suffrage movement; other inventors who were really improvers (Edison and his light bulb); and the movement to dedicate a day to Greenwood. McCarthy’s acrylic illustrations nicely bring history to kids, mixing the familiar and the new. They realistically portray history (and Farmington!) and feature her characteristic big-eyed, round-faced people. Two photographs show Greenwood, sporting earmuffs of course, and a portion of the Chester Greenwood Day parade in downtown Farmington. Backmatter includes a fascinating note about the research for the book, more about patents and a bibliography.
While Greenwood was indeed an interesting character, the more valuable—even revolutionary—takeaway is that history isn’t necessarily reliable; it can change, and McCarthy’s genius is that she communicates this so easily to her audience. (Informational picture book. 4-10)
NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY BOOK REVIEW
Another chance to offer children an amusing and sneakily urbane approach to history comes in Meghan McCarthy’s “Earmuffs for Everyone! How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs.” Note that subtitle: Greenwood was not, in fact, the first person to make and market the devices. What he did was add a tight steel band that held earmuffs in place – and, crucially, when he was just 19 years old, go to the U.S. Patent Office. But why on earth did that make him so famous that there is now a Chester Greenwood Day celebrated in his home state of Maine? McCarthy, the author of other innovative nonfiction picture books including “City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male,” has a lot of fun with that question, gently guiding readers to understand how popular history can gloss over a host of complications.
Greenwood, McCarthy suggests, became part of history because he was a kind of model citizen. He was a tinkerer and an entrepreneurial type, and he was always looking to improve everyday objects for other people. Also, his wife, Isabel, became involved in the women’s suffrage movement; they held meetings in their house, and Chester went on to employ many women in his factory. After his death, people who knew and admired him “wanted his legacy to live on” – to the point that some even embellished stories about him as they proposed a holiday in his name. But the Maine Legislature – looking for a way to get the state into the national spotlight, McCarthy shows – approved Chester Greenwood Day.
Earmuffs are, of course, by their very nature goofy, and McCarthy plays the story as well as the illustrations for laughs. She uses lots of exclamation points, and her people have gigantic eyeballs and tiny, askew lines for mouths. She sprinkles the pages with funny retro ads and details. But as easy as they go down, the many lessons in this book are serious: the importance of patents and “good business skills,” the contingent nature of history, and the somewhat radical notion that sometimes it’s not necessary to be original, only to make something better.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - STARRED REVIEW
From Benjamin Franklin to Steve Jobs, inventors have long had a hold on the American imagination. But exactly what makes something an invention? McCarthy (Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton) again proves her nonfiction storytelling chops by using the humble earmuff and the man associated with it as a way to delve into some deliciously big ideas: what constitutes originality, the slipperiness of origin stories (note the careful wording of the subtitle), and the philosophy of patent law. Like any meaty topic, this one leads readers into side stories and digressions (Greenwood married a suffragette; the early promoters of Chester Greenwood Day mostly made stuff up about its namesake), all captured with crisp, slyly funny acrylics and populated with McCarthy’s customary goggle-eyed characters. McCarthy is the ideal raconteur: funny, curious, and eager to involve her audience in her pursuit of the truth (“What do you think really happened?” she asks at one point). Readers will come away knowing a lot more about earmuffs, and feeling like they’ve spent time with a very smart, very cool friend. Ages 4–8. Agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. (Jan.)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW
K-Gr 3—This picture book charts the evolution of the earmuff. McCarthy starts in the 18th century, discussing the ways that various inventors improved on one another's designs, until Chester Greenwood made one last tweak to the wire headband and applied for a patent. Woven into the narrative is a description of patents. Children will also come away with a greater understanding of the nature of inventions. The book ends with a brief biography of Chester Greenwood and a section about the dedicated citizens in the state of Maine who lobbied for a Chester Greenwood Day (made official in 1977). Back matter includes an author's note, a note about patents, and a photo of the annual Chester Greenwood Day parade in Farmington, Maine. Rendered in acrylic paint, the illustrations are appealingly cartoonlike, portraying people with exaggerated round eyes and faces, and complement the concise but upbeat text ("[Isaac Kleinert] also made dress guards, which protected ladies' clothing from sweat. Ew!"). A solid addition for those seeking titles about inventors and inventions.—Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Chester Greenwood Day is celebrated annually in Maine to honor a man credited with inventing earmuffs. But did he? The creator of books such as Pop: The Invention of Bubble Gum (2010) and Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse (2008), McCarthy leads off this picture-book biography with an illustrated discussion of ear muffs developed before or soon after Greenwood’s birth. Still, the man’s accomplishments were many: improving on earmuff design by adding a steel band, receiving a patent at age 19, and running a successful earmuff manufacturing business. After tracing how Greenwood became known as the inventor of earmuffs, McCarthy describes how his annual “day” became official. In an appended note on research, she mentions that although several sources (Wikipedia, NPR, The Washington Post) incorrectly credited Greenwood with inventing earmuffs, her historical research showed that “the facts got muddled” through the years. Always entertaining, this picture book features a clearly written text and appealing acrylic paintings that vary from spot illustrations of familiar patented inventions (Coke bottles, Lego blocks, a space capsule) to double-page scenes representing the inventor’s life. This unusual book also offers insight into the process of invention and how the muddling of fact, memory, and legend can result in popular history.
SHELF AWARENESS - STARRED REVIEW
Meghan McCarthy (Daredevil) explains patents while also making a distinction between "invention" and "improvement" in this true story of teenage entrepreneur Chester Greenwood who made improvements to earmuffs.
The author-artist deconstructs the patenting process from start to finish. First, she explains that the word "muff" began with hand mufflers in the 1700s, and shows the improvements upon them (as a fashion accessory as well as warmer) in the 1800s. Next, she chronicles--alongside spot art illustrations--early earmuffs by William Ware (1858), M. Isidor (1873) and I.B. Kleinert (1875), noting that Kleinert's is still in business today. Chester Greenwood's patent on "improvement in ear-mufflers" dated March 13, 1877, postdates all of those. "But the guy everyone knows as the inventor of earmuffs is Chester Greenwood," McCarthy emphasizes. She goes on to explain patents, using well-known brands such as Coca-Cola, Band-Aids, the Apple computer and more. McCarthy poses some theories about why Greenwood is best known among those who dabbled with earmuffs, and compares him with Thomas Edison, who made improvements to previous inventions, including the lightbulb. She also points to marketing as a factor: in his hometown of Farmington, Maine, residents dedicate a day in December to hailing Chester Greenwood.
With this accessible example of an invention for which a teenager made improvements, McCarthy stresses the importance of science, ever changing and advancing and affecting our daily lives--and that young people's ideas are every bit as valid as those of adults. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor
BOOKLIST - STARRED REVIEW
Chester Greenwood Day is celebrated annually in Maine to honor a man credited with inventing earmuffs. But did he? The creator of books such as Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum (2010) and Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse (2008), McCarthy leads off this picture-book biography with an illustrated discussion of earmuffs developed before or soon after Greenwood’s birth. Still, the man’s accomplishments were many: improving on earmuff design by adding a steel band, receiving a patent at age 19, and running a successful earmuff manufacturing business. After tracing how Greenwood became known as the inventor of earmuffs, McCarthy describes how his annual “day” became official. In an appended note on research, she mentions that although several sources (Wikipedia, NPR, Washington Post) incorrectly credited Greenwood with inventing earmuffs, her historical research showed that “the facts got muddled” through the years. Always entertaining, this picture book features a clearly written text and appealing acrylic paintings that vary from spot illustrations of familiar patented inventions (Coke bottles, LEGO blocks, a space capsule) to double-page scenes representing the inventor’s life. This unusual book also offers insight into the process of invention and how the muddling of fact, memory, and legend can result in popular history.— Carolyn Phelan
