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The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories About Inventions
Did you know that the ice cream sundae was invented because of a law forbidding the sale of ice cream on Sundays? Or that the first motorcycle was really just a tricycle with a motor? Would you believe that Mickey Mouse started out as a rabbit? Arranged in alphabetical order with anecdotal, fun-to-read text, this fascinating book is packed with the stories behind these and over 100 more inventions. "[An] entertaining volume of trivia." - Kirkus Reviews
114 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1997
17 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Don L. Wulffson
46 books23 followersDon L. Wulffson is the author of more than forty books, including Point Blank, The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle, Future Fright, and The Upside-Down Ship. He lives in Northridge, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
September 28, 2021
Interesting trivia that I'll read again to absorb better. Definitely going to suggest my kids read it.
May 30, 2020
This was a gift from my great- niece, Charlotte (8 years old) . She told me it was her favorite book and surprised me by giving it to me. It is filled with interesting and fun fact about many of the things we have and use daily.
March 12, 2014
The book the kid who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories is a great book. I really enjoyed reading this book. I did liking this book because it wasn't a long story and it was interesting. It teaches you about how thing were invented and where the name originated. I would recommend this book to anyone who like short, quick, interesting stories and to anyone who likes learning new thing.
January 31, 2024
author: Don L. Wulffson
pages:114
title: The kid who invented the Popsicle
copyright date:1997
publisher:puffin books
ISBN: 0-525-65221-3
Genre: Non fiction
Price: $5.99
My book is about how things are made and what goes into them. My book talks about how the creators made all of the stuff and how long it took. My book also talks about what things they needed to make all of the new creations that are in the book. My book is interesting because on each page there is a different thing that is created and how it is made and who made the inventions too.
In my opinion I liked the book because you couldn't get bored that fast and I am a person that gets bored really fast so it wasn't that bad. I described my book that way because it was one of the only ways to get the point across without giving the book away because there are so many things that happen in it and it is really fun to read.
I gave my book a 4/5 because the pages could have been a little longer instead of only being half a page but otherwise the book was so fun to read and i learned a lot about it and the things that were made in it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read easy books and likes learning about fun things because this book is so fun and interesting to read. Good books to read are Anything but Typical because it has a kid who plays baseball and my book talks about how baseball was made. Another good book was Ghost Grave because it is full of excitement and energy.
pages:114
title: The kid who invented the Popsicle
copyright date:1997
publisher:puffin books
ISBN: 0-525-65221-3
Genre: Non fiction
Price: $5.99
My book is about how things are made and what goes into them. My book talks about how the creators made all of the stuff and how long it took. My book also talks about what things they needed to make all of the new creations that are in the book. My book is interesting because on each page there is a different thing that is created and how it is made and who made the inventions too.
In my opinion I liked the book because you couldn't get bored that fast and I am a person that gets bored really fast so it wasn't that bad. I described my book that way because it was one of the only ways to get the point across without giving the book away because there are so many things that happen in it and it is really fun to read.
I gave my book a 4/5 because the pages could have been a little longer instead of only being half a page but otherwise the book was so fun to read and i learned a lot about it and the things that were made in it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read easy books and likes learning about fun things because this book is so fun and interesting to read. Good books to read are Anything but Typical because it has a kid who plays baseball and my book talks about how baseball was made. Another good book was Ghost Grave because it is full of excitement and energy.
November 4, 2021
The author knows how to make an entertaining, and educational book for the curious to learn the origin of several every-day items. No more than a single page is dedicated to each item so one can read this very quickly.
August 5, 2017
Great non-fiction anecdotes about inventions that kept my son enthralled!
November 8, 2017
We are reading this together for One Book One School - Kindergarten
January 25, 2019
It's a very surprising book.
March 29, 2019
Fun and fast read. Great for the kids to hear about everyday items and how they most often accidentally came into use.
February 15, 2021
A great, quick read of fun facts. Perfect for read alouds in the classroom when you only have a few minutes.
September 23, 2021
The Kid who Invented the Popsicle is a really good it kept my interest I loved how it gave you many different facts I didn't want to put it down.
September 24, 2021
Some of the chapters had cool information while others did not
November 9, 2021
Nifty! Short, sweet, and to the point stories behind how things got invented. Each invention is only one page, sometimes one paragraph.
May 27, 2023
Entertaining, brief, one-page summaries of some fascinating invention stories.
July 23, 2023
Fun, quick read about the creation of everyday items.
October 6, 2024
I don’t usually post to my Goodreads the (many) children’s books we check out from the library, but I’m making an exception for this one because it’s long and interesting.
May 26, 2025
My guess is that the target audience for this book is middle grade students, but I’m proof that an adult can love it too.
January 16, 2026
I love history and this book will make this information fun for the youngens.
October 11, 2011
1. This book would fall under the category of a junior book, informational.
2. Do you like random trivia? If so, this book is for you! Set up as short 1-3 paragraph stories, this book gives information on the inventions and discoveries of random, kid-interesting things.
3. critique
a. As an informational book, this book keeps the readers’ attention by not going into great depth on the various topics. The maximum length is really only three paragraphs. This allows readers to get information without encountering boredom! If they aren’t particularly interested in one topic, just skip a page because something interesting is coming up!
b. The author picked out items which are interesting to children. How was a popsicle invented, and why was it called a popsicle? I won’t spoil the founding, but I will tell you that popsicle was not the first name of it! You will have to read the book to find out what was! Some of the inventions I knew already, but most were novel.
c. This book is written in kid-friendly language that is not heavy on description. All of the articles are less than a page and written without a lot of fluff added. From comic books to wire coat hangers, this book keeps the interest level high!
4. a curriculum connection
This book would be a great selection for read-aloud times. There are always times during the day where you have a few minutes and this book would allow for something constructive to do to fill the time.
2. Do you like random trivia? If so, this book is for you! Set up as short 1-3 paragraph stories, this book gives information on the inventions and discoveries of random, kid-interesting things.
3. critique
a. As an informational book, this book keeps the readers’ attention by not going into great depth on the various topics. The maximum length is really only three paragraphs. This allows readers to get information without encountering boredom! If they aren’t particularly interested in one topic, just skip a page because something interesting is coming up!
b. The author picked out items which are interesting to children. How was a popsicle invented, and why was it called a popsicle? I won’t spoil the founding, but I will tell you that popsicle was not the first name of it! You will have to read the book to find out what was! Some of the inventions I knew already, but most were novel.
c. This book is written in kid-friendly language that is not heavy on description. All of the articles are less than a page and written without a lot of fluff added. From comic books to wire coat hangers, this book keeps the interest level high!
4. a curriculum connection
This book would be a great selection for read-aloud times. There are always times during the day where you have a few minutes and this book would allow for something constructive to do to fill the time.
October 2, 2012
THE KID WHO INVENTED THE POPCICLE
Don L. Wulffson
Informational nonfiction
128 pages
Have you ever wondered how animal crackers were brought into this world? What about a flyswatter, or even foam rubber? In the book THE KID WHO INVENTED THE POPSICLE, by Don L. Wulffson it has a bunch of different inventions. Some of the inventions include the Popsicle, dominoes, the phonograph, a rear-view mirror, a credit card and many more. This book has inventions from A to Z. Literally it really does.
My favorite invention is probably the one about Dr. Pepper. I liked that one because I love Dr. Pepper and it is like the story of a love life that just didn’t work out. Personally I think that the invention of the bikini was the most interesting. It took place on the day when an atomic bomb was supposed to be dropped on Bikini Atoll. It was interesting. I also like the one about the Kleenex. It was a funny one. Another one that we all know is monopoly. A man was making hand-made monopoly boards during the Great Depression. I wish I thought of that, but then I would have to do it all by hand. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a nonfiction book about who invented what.
Don L. Wulffson
Informational nonfiction
128 pages
Have you ever wondered how animal crackers were brought into this world? What about a flyswatter, or even foam rubber? In the book THE KID WHO INVENTED THE POPSICLE, by Don L. Wulffson it has a bunch of different inventions. Some of the inventions include the Popsicle, dominoes, the phonograph, a rear-view mirror, a credit card and many more. This book has inventions from A to Z. Literally it really does.
My favorite invention is probably the one about Dr. Pepper. I liked that one because I love Dr. Pepper and it is like the story of a love life that just didn’t work out. Personally I think that the invention of the bikini was the most interesting. It took place on the day when an atomic bomb was supposed to be dropped on Bikini Atoll. It was interesting. I also like the one about the Kleenex. It was a funny one. Another one that we all know is monopoly. A man was making hand-made monopoly boards during the Great Depression. I wish I thought of that, but then I would have to do it all by hand. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a nonfiction book about who invented what.
September 24, 2012
Don L. Wulffson
nonfiction
114
The kid Who Invented the popsicle is a book that has short summaries of different inventions. There are many different inventions in this book. They are all a page to a page and a half long. When it talks about the inventions it says who invented it, when it was invented and other details about the invention.
I thought this was a good quick and easy nonfiction book. I liked how it talked about different inventions and how it wasn't about just one inventions. I also like that they were interesting inventions and they weren't boring. Something I did not like about this book is that the stories about the inventions were not very detailed. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was more detailed and talked more about the inventions and how they were made. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to read a nonfiction book and enjoys reading about different inventions.
nonfiction
114
The kid Who Invented the popsicle is a book that has short summaries of different inventions. There are many different inventions in this book. They are all a page to a page and a half long. When it talks about the inventions it says who invented it, when it was invented and other details about the invention.
I thought this was a good quick and easy nonfiction book. I liked how it talked about different inventions and how it wasn't about just one inventions. I also like that they were interesting inventions and they weren't boring. Something I did not like about this book is that the stories about the inventions were not very detailed. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was more detailed and talked more about the inventions and how they were made. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to read a nonfiction book and enjoys reading about different inventions.
December 10, 2012
The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories about Inventions
Don L. Wulfson
Informational
114 Pages
Did you know that Gatorade was actually made for the Florida Gators or that Scotch Tape got its name by the first product review said it was scotch or cheap? Many things in the world have interesting things behind it like the popsicle was made by an accident. A kid put soda and a stirring stick in a cup and left the cup outside overnight by accident and that is how the popsicle became a popsicle.
Dr. Pepper has a very funny and cool story to how it became. A doctor named Dr. Pepper had fired a employee from his pharmacy because he was dated his daughter. He told him never to show his face again and get out of town. The young man moved to Virginia and started selling soda. As a joke, he name the drink of the doctors name. I thought that was extremely cool.
Don L. Wulfson
Informational
114 Pages
Did you know that Gatorade was actually made for the Florida Gators or that Scotch Tape got its name by the first product review said it was scotch or cheap? Many things in the world have interesting things behind it like the popsicle was made by an accident. A kid put soda and a stirring stick in a cup and left the cup outside overnight by accident and that is how the popsicle became a popsicle.
Dr. Pepper has a very funny and cool story to how it became. A doctor named Dr. Pepper had fired a employee from his pharmacy because he was dated his daughter. He told him never to show his face again and get out of town. The young man moved to Virginia and started selling soda. As a joke, he name the drink of the doctors name. I thought that was extremely cool.
March 4, 2015
I only award this book 2 stars because a few of the stories are either wrong, or give incomplete/misleading details.
One example is The Baby Ruth Bar...
While the candy company maintained it was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter (not Babe Ruth), this is almost certainly a lie, to avoid paying royalties to the Great Bambino.
At the time, Babe Ruth was becoming a star player, while Cleveland was decades removed from the Whitehouse. Most damning however: Ruth Cleveland was no longer a baby: she'd been dead for 17 years.
What's more, Babe Ruth actually came out with a candy bar of his own, which the Curtiss Company had legally shut down because the Babe's name was deemed too similar. Dirtbag move, for sure--but a brilliant business move.
One example is The Baby Ruth Bar...
While the candy company maintained it was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter (not Babe Ruth), this is almost certainly a lie, to avoid paying royalties to the Great Bambino.
At the time, Babe Ruth was becoming a star player, while Cleveland was decades removed from the Whitehouse. Most damning however: Ruth Cleveland was no longer a baby: she'd been dead for 17 years.
What's more, Babe Ruth actually came out with a candy bar of his own, which the Curtiss Company had legally shut down because the Babe's name was deemed too similar. Dirtbag move, for sure--but a brilliant business move.
April 8, 2010
this book has many short stories, 114 to be exact, that explain how some things were invented. They tell who invented it, how they invented it, when and where they invented it. It talked about aspirin, ball-point pen, a balloon, a band-aid, bikini, blue jeans, cereal, calculator, straw, doughnut, cologne, gum, comics, dice, ice-cream, sundae, pockets, pencils, wigs and many other inventions of everyday life. I though this book was a great book because it talked about inventions that I haven't really thought as inventions. It's a book with simple facts of the things we use.
July 10, 2008
Noble read this for our kids book club on inventions. He loves it - but he also likes information in short spurts on a variety of things. This books matches that. It covers about 100 everyday things (animal crackers to hula hoops to root beer to zippers) and gives a paragraph or two on each item. Pretty easy read, Noble finished it in one day, make that an afternoon.
July 18, 2013
This short text gives readers information on how 114 different household items were invented. I think the page-long vignettes in this book would be a great way for teachers to get students' attention back after recess, or to help get children interested in doing their own research about questions they have related to the world.
May 16, 2025
Fun & informative little book! My young cousin said it was their favorite book and lent me a copy to read! Each page contains an invention and the story about how it came to be. I learned quite a bit and have some fun facts now tucked away for a little trivia. Great read for kids who want to learn something while being entertained!
May 13, 2010
I found this on a read aloud list, and think this would be a fun read aloud. Each invention's history is brief, just a few paragraphs, allowing the reader to choose as few or as many as time allows.
July 30, 2010
This book really caught my eye. It is interest to know who invented what and why/how they invented it. My favorite invention in this book was when Dr. Pepper was created. I give this book a two thumbs up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews