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.
♦ 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
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