The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan

Inventor, Entrepreneur, Hero
By Joan DiCicco, Ebony Glenn
Hardcover: $20.95

Garrett Morgan, a prolific African American inventor and entrepreneur, must test his latest invention in a daring rescue after an explosion at the Cleveland Waterworks.

Description

“If a man puts something to block your way,
the first time you go around it,
the second time you go over it,
and the third time you go through it.”

Living by these words made inventor and entrepreneur Garrett Morgan unstoppable! Growing up in Claysville, Kentucky, the son of freed slaves, young and curious Garrett was eager for life beyond his family’s farm. At age fourteen, he moved north to Cleveland, where his creative mind took flight amidst the city’s booming clothing-manufacturing industry.

Using his ingenuity and tenacity, Garrett overcame racial barriers and forged a career as a successful businessman and inventor. But when a tunnel collapsed, trapping twenty men, the rescue would test both Garrett’s invention — and his courage.

Told in compelling prose by debut picture-book author Joan DiCicco and dynamic illustrations from artist Ebony Glenn, The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan is a powerful biography of an extraordinary man who dedicated his life to improving the lives of others.

About the Creators

Joan DiCicco

Joan DiCicco loved reading biographies as a kid and was inspired by other people’s stories. She was drawn to Garrett Morgan’s story after seeing him described in an anthology of African American inventors as the only "hero-inventor" among them. The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan is her first picture book. Joan and her husband live in Exeter, New Hampshire. You can visit her online at joandiciccowriter.com.

Ebony Glenn

Ebony Glenn is a children’s book illustrator who enjoys bringing stories to life with whimsical and expressive imagery. A passion for the arts, great storytelling, and advocating for more diverse narratives in children’s books, she aims to create art that will foster a love of reading in young readers. You can find her online at ebonyglenn.com.

Awards

  • Best Children's Books of the Year

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Best Multicultural Books

    Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature

  • Bluestem Award Nominee 2022

    Association of Illinois School Library Educators

Reviews

  • "A stirring tribute to black excellence."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "[A] riveting tale of a man who fought against stacked odds to accomplish what he put his mind to."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Young readers will relate to this straightforward message of perseverance and encouragement and will warm to Glenn's attractive sepia-tinted pencil and watercolor illustrations."

    - School Library Journal
  • "This biography will find plenty of use in intermediate grades with units on Black history, inventors, segregation, the great migration, or early American history. Media specialists, teachers, and librarians will find this book to be a good addition to their collections and STEM offerings."

    - Booklist

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620145647
  • Price $20.95
  • Publication Date Oct 01, 2019
  • Trim Size 10.5 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 1 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / Biography & Autobiography / Historical
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / African American & Black
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / Technology / Machinery & Tools
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Biography / Memoir, Discrimination, Dreams & Aspirations, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Imagination, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Inventors / Inventions, Nonfiction, Overcoming Obstacles, People In Motion, Persistence / Grit, Pride, STEM / STEAM
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 7 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 2 - 7
  • Guided Reading S
  • ATOS Book Level 5.7
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 2 - 8
  • Lexile Level 980
  • Lexile Measurement 980L
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - 5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

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