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The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by [Chris Barton, Tony Persiani]

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Chris Barton
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The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors Kindle Edition

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Chris Barton (Author)
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Chris Barton (Author), Tony Persiani (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    7 - 10 years
  2. Language
    English
  3. Grade level
    2 - 5
  4. Publisher
    Charlesbridge
  5. Publication date
    Dec 7 2021
  6. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1570916731
  10. See all details
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Product description

Review

♦ The Switzer brothers were complete opposites. Older brother Bob was hardworking and practical, while younger brother Joe was carefree and full of creative, wacky ideas. However, when an unexpected injury forced Bob to spend months recovering in a darkened basement, the two brothers happened upon an illuminating adventure—the discovery of Day-Glo colors. These glowing paints were used to send signals in World War II, help airplanes land safely at night and are now found worldwide in art and advertisements (not to mention the entire decade of 1980s fashion). Through extensive research, including Switzer family interviews and Bob's own handwritten account of events, debut author Barton brings two unknown inventors into the brilliant light they deserve. Persiani, in his picture-book debut as well, first limits the palette to grayscale, then gradually increases the use of color as the brothers' experiments progress. The final pages explode in Day-Glo radiance. Rendered in 1950s-cartoon style, with bold lines and stretched perspectives, these two putty-limbed brothers shine even more brightly than the paints and dyes they created.

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review


♦ In this debut for both collaborators, Barton takes on the dual persona of popular historian and cool science teacher as he chronicles the Switzer brothers' invention of the first fluorescent paint visible in daylight. The aptly named Day-Glo, he explains, started out as a technological novelty act (Joe, an amateur magician, was looking for ways to make his illusions more exciting), but soon became much more: during WWII, one of its many uses was guiding Allied planes to safe landings on aircraft carriers. The story is one of quintessentially American ingenuity, with its beguiling combination of imaginative heroes (“Bob focused on specific goals, while Joe let his freewheeling mind roam every which way when he tried to solve a problem”), formidable obstacles (including, in Bob's case, a traumatic accident), a dash of serendipity and entrepreneurial zeal. Persiani's exuberantly retro 1960s drawings—splashed with Day-Glo, of course—bring to mind the goofy enthusiasm of vintage educational animation and should have readers eagerly following along as the Switzers turn fluorescence into fame and fortune.

—Publishers Weekly, starred review --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Chris Barton writes about books for children and young adults on his blog "Bartography." He is the author of SHARK VS. TRAIN, CAN I SEE YOUR ID?, and THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS. Chris lives in Austin, Texas. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09GJLNNKK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Charlesbridge (Dec 7 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6374 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

About the author

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Chris Barton

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I'm the author of picture books including bestseller Shark vs. Train, Sibert Honor-winning The Day-Glo Brothers, and Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, which has been included on 21 state reading lists.

Other well-known titles of mine include Fire Truck vs. Dragon, Dazzle Ships, What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (included on the 2020-21 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List), and All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing.

My new books in 2021 and 2022 include How to Make a Book (About My Dog), illustrated by Sarah Horne; Moving Forward: From Space-Age Rides to Civil Rights Sit-Ins with Airman Alton Yates, illustrated by Steffi Walthall; and Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music, written with Willie Nelson and Bobbie Nelson.

I visit schools by the score and also love speaking to professional gatherings of librarians, educators, and fellow writers.

I'm married to YA/middle-grade novelist Jennifer Ziegler (How Not to Be Popular, Worser, the Brewster Triplets series). Jennifer and I have four children and one dog, and we co-host the children’s literature video series “This One’s Dedicated to…” in which we talk with other authors and illustrators about the dedications they’ve written for their books.

Jennifer and I live in Austin, Texas, where I have advocated for greater diversity in children's literature by co-founding the Modern First Library program with independent bookseller BookPeople.

For more information about me, please visit www.chrisbarton.info.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
42 global ratings
5 star
77%
4 star
12%
3 star
4%
2 star
6%
1 star 0% (0%) 0%

Top review from Canada

MsEdna
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is sooooo FUN!
Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2019
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Top reviews from other countries

alona rodeh
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2015
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MBanks
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books!
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
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BullTiger
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, shows how the application of "science" can be interesting
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018
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C.H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2019
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M. Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars Bright, informative and wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2010
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