A Super Sticky Mistake

September 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 3-This picture book biography spotlights Harry Coover, a white American chemist born in 1917 in Newark, DE, who invented superglue. Coover and his team did not intend to make superglue; they were trying to create a plastic during World War II. However, a mistake occurred during one of the experiments. Coover decided to further study his mistake, which was originally called cyanoacrylate. At first, people were not convinced that superglue was a useful material, but after many years, it became widely used-veterinarians have used it to mend broken bones, medics on battlefields relied on it to block massive blood loss, and engineers used it to mend a space shuttle. At the age of 92, Coover was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Zhai's colorful illustrations are whimsical. Each page features spare text, making the book accessible for younger readers. VERDICT A fun, lesser-known story of a very common item, featuring enjoyable visuals. A good addition to a younger reader biography section.-Erin Olsen, Hunter Coll. Elem. Sch., NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2020
Like many inventions, it seems, super glue came about by accident. Unfortunately, readers are likely to be left with more questions than answers after reading this disappointing biography of the miracle goo's inventor. Harry Coover invented the stuff, but his surname is inexplicably withheld until the end of the narrative. One irrelevant fact revealed from the beginning was his penchant for saying "yaba daba," which is irritatingly repeated throughout the text. His favorite subject was chemistry, but readers don't learn what drew him to it. During World War II, Coover "was asked to develop a plastic [that] needed to be strong, solid and transparent." Why he was asked to do this, for what purpose, and by whom is not revealed. Coover and his team accidentally created a mixture called cyanoacrylate, which is now popularly known as super glue. After years in development, it was officially put on the market, and his adhesive found many uses. Veterinarians used it to mend bones; battlefield medics used it to stop blood loss; and detectives used it to collect fingerprints--though how is not explained. Engineers supposedly used it to fix a space shuttle, but how and which one are not revealed. Complementing the scant information are equally unenlightening cartoon illustrations depicting the White scientist in action with colleagues, some of whom are people of color. There are no source notes or bibliography. A remarkably uninformative informational book. (timeline) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.