Wood, Wire, Wings

Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Illustrated by Tracy Subisak
Look inside
Hardcover
$19.99 US
On sale Feb 25, 2020 | 48 Pages | 9781629799384

See Additional Formats
Meet self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring--she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical. Lilian knew she could design one that worked. She took inspiration from both nature and her many failures, driving herself to perfect the design that would eventually successfully fly.
Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes about rocket science--and just about any science--for kids. She is the author of more than twenty-five children's books, including the Robotics in Our World series. Visit https://kirsten-w-larson.com. View titles by Kirsten W. Larson
Tracy Subisak studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati. She has design experience in everything from soft goods to consumer electronics. Cy Makes a Friend is her first picture book. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit tracysubisak.com. View titles by Tracy Subisak

About

Meet self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring--she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical. Lilian knew she could design one that worked. She took inspiration from both nature and her many failures, driving herself to perfect the design that would eventually successfully fly.

Author

Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA. Now she writes about rocket science--and just about any science--for kids. She is the author of more than twenty-five children's books, including the Robotics in Our World series. Visit https://kirsten-w-larson.com. View titles by Kirsten W. Larson
Tracy Subisak studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati. She has design experience in everything from soft goods to consumer electronics. Cy Makes a Friend is her first picture book. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit tracysubisak.com. View titles by Tracy Subisak

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more