Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

August 13, 2018
The duo behind the bestselling STEAM-based picture book series that introduced engineer Rosie Revere, architect Iggy Peck, and scientist Ada Twist turns the kids into a team, “the Questioneers,” in a spirited chapter book series opener. The kids are as ambitious as ever, and Rosie’s great-great-aunt Rose supplies additional pizzazz with her fellow Blue River Riveters, who built airplanes together during WWII and now spend their days laughing, singing, dancing, and helping one another—all sporting polka-dot kerchiefs. When artist June breaks both wrists in a motor-scooter mishap, Aunt Rose directs Rosie to invent something on a tight timeline so that June can participate in an art contest, despite her double casts. The young engineer leaps into action, using “springs and strings and other things” to repurpose a failed invention. Through a sequence of trials, neatly captured in Roberts’s buoyant illustrations, Rosie creates the Paintapalooza. Design elements (graph paper, illustrated inventions) give the book a scientific feel, and the collaborators again balance entertainment with key life lessons in problem-solving, persistence, and resilience. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Christine Isteed, Artist Partners.