Inventions to Count On: a Celebration of Black Inventors
A Picture Book
Abrams Appleseed · Print & ebook · April 15, 2025
From forgotten innovators like Anna M. Mangin to well-known inventors like James West, this picture book is a celebration of Black history and inventors with a unique counting rhyme One heater keeps a family warm / Sheltered from the winter storm.
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- Who it’s for
- Readers interested in Black history and inventors
- Themes
- Black history, Inventions and innovation, Family celebration
- Genres
- Inventions, African American Life (U.S.), Counting & Numbers
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Inventions.
Rise Up!Rachel C. Katz45% match
Black Pioneers of Science and InventionLouis Haber59% matchAlso shares African American Life (U.S.)
InvincibleWade Hudson55% matchAlso shares African American Life (U.S.)
The Story of Thomas Alva EdisonMargaret Cousins54% match
Thomas Edison for KidsLaurie Carlson53% match
Shades of Black: a Celebration of Our ChildrenSandra L. Pinkney53% matchAlso shares African American Life (U.S.)
Mistakes That WorkedCharlotte Foltz Jones53% match
The Industrial Revolution for KidsCheryl Mullenbach53% match
For older readers: Strange Fruit, Volume II, American Childhood, Black Fortunes
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Start with this bookAbout this book
From forgotten innovators like Anna M. Mangin to well-known inventors like James West, this picture book is a celebration of Black history and inventors with a unique counting rhyme One heater keeps a family warm / Sheltered from the winter storm. Two phones bridge a thousand miles / Bringing laughter, joy, and smiles. From traffic lights to ice cream scoopers to fire trucks, there are so many different ways that Black inventors changed history.
Continue reading
Follow a bustling modern-day family as they get ready for a beloved family member’s 100th birthday. Woven into their activities are ten inventions that positively impact their daily lives as they prepare for the celebration. With simple, rhyming text and charming art, Inventions to Count On: A Celebration of Black Inventors shines a light on forgotten pioneers, including Alice H. Parker, Garrett Morgan, Anna M. Mangin, Joseph Winters, Alfred L. Cralle, Sarah Boone, Jan Ernst Matzeliger, and Alexander Miles, as well as honoring celebrated inventors like James West, who developed the tiny microphone still used in cell phones today, and Granville T. Woods, who invented third rail technology for trains.
Where it sits
| Inventions | 70% |
|---|---|
| African American Life (U.S.) | 61% |
| Counting & Numbers | 61% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Counting & Numbers
- African American Life (U.S.)
- Poetry
- Science Projects & Experiments
Show all 5 publisher categories
- Inventions
- Authors
- Dana Marie Miroballi
- Publisher
- Abrams Appleseed
- Published
- April 15, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Black history · Inventions and innovation · Family celebration
- Reading lane
- Counting & Numbers