Wood, Wire, Wings

By Kirsten W. Larson, Tracy Subisak (Illustrator)

A self-taught engineer strives to design a working airplane in the early 1900s.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 311 ratings

48 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Emma Lilian Todd, a self-taught engineer, faces the daunting task of designing a functional airplane in the early 1900s. With a mind always soaring, she dissects clocks and imagines flying machines, determined to turn her dreams into reality. Despite numerous failures, Lilian draws inspiration from nature and her setbacks, pushing herself to create a design that can truly fly. Will her persistence and ingenuity lead to success, or will her dreams remain grounded? Discover the journey of a pioneering spirit in a world where the sky is the limit.

From the publisher

This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of 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. Illustrator Tracy Subisak’s art brings to life author Kirsten W. Larson’s story of this little-known but important engineer.

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