Full of Beans
Henry Ford Grows a Car
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Famous car-maker and businessman Henry Ford showed great innovation with his determination to build his most inventive car—one completely made of soybeans.
With a mind for ingenuity, Henry Ford looked to improve life for others. After the Great Depression struck, Ford especially wanted to support ailing farmers. For two years, Ford and his team researched ways to use farmers' crops in his Ford Motor Company. They discovered that the soybean was the perfect answer. Soon, Ford's cars contained many soybean plastic parts, and Ford incorporated soybeans into every part of his life. He ate soybeans, he wore clothes made of soybean fabric, and he wanted to drive soybeans, too. This nonfiction picture book brings to life an amazing story from American history that will inspire young readers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
While many know about Henry Ford's automobiles and assembly line refinements, Thomas's latest nonfiction work describes his fascination with the soybean. Ford, raised on a Michigan farm, sought to help farmers find a new market factories following the Great Depression. The eventual result, following years of experimentation: a soybean suit, a favorite soybean snack, and a prototype car made of soy plastic. While Ford's vision for a soy car waned with WWII's onset, his chemists' research jump-started soybean farmers' future; today, they contribute to "furniture and flooring,/ dog biscuits and bread,/ candy, crayons,/ and cars." Vibrant shades of yellow, green, and blue dominate Fotheringham's digital illustrations, which feature farming and factory scenes and play with scale. Extensive back matter includes a list of products containing soy, a lengthy bibliography and timeline, and recipes for soy plastic and Ford's favored soy cracker. A detailed, bean-filled look at an auto tycoon's lesser-known passion. Ages 7 10.
