Gr 4-6-- For those readers who feel as though they've yet to accomplish anything in life, these discoveries will come as a great relief. None of the inventions described in these pages were planned; in fact, some of the inventors had no idea they'd stumbled on something useful until years later, when their works became popular. Jones covers both patented inventions (Silly Putty, Popsicles, Coca Cola) and generic ones (bricks, donut holes, cheese). She also throws in some place names whose monikers were coined accidentally. The loony watercolor sketches and all the extras here--fun facts, recipes, and anecdotes--are perfect for browsing. This book covers material similar to that in Wulffson's The Invention of Ordinary Things (Lothrop, 1981) and Steven Caney's Invention Book (Workman, 1985), but both are without the specific slant of ``mistaken discovery.'' The only detriment to this otherwise versatile book is the cartoon stereotypes of the Eskimo, Native American, and Chinese man. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr. 4-6, younger for reading aloud. An ice-cream vendor who ran out of dishes at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair charmed the public with ice-cream cones; piggy banks came about because of somebody's poor spelling; and cockleburs that stuck to an engineer's jacket became the inspiration for Velcro. These are but three of the happy "mistakes" Jones gathers together in a splendid book that is as informative as it is entertaining. Jones has lots of fun with facts, dredging up plenty in a lively, anecdotal account that recollects the oddball origins of a variety of foods, clothing, toys, and devices (including lots of brand names everyone will recognize) that we use everyday. She even throws in a few strange stories about sites on the map--why the Leaning Tower leans; how Nome, Alaska, got its name. O'Brien, who, among other things, is a staff artist for the New Yorker, contributes a wonderful assortment of quirky, colorful cartoons that add just the right touch of levity. A gem of a book about "dumb luck" and how we all profit from it. A bibliography is appended. ~--Stephanie Zvirin

This intriguing book reveals the often bizarre stories behind the accidental invention or naming of many of today's successful products, including ice-cream cones, aspirin, and doughnut holes. Comical ink-and-watercolor illustrations capitalize on the quirkiness of the theme. Bib., ind. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.