Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

Written by Chris Barton and Don Tate

Narrated by JD Jackson

Lonnie Johnson was always building things. As a kid he made rockets. As a teenager
he built a robot from scratch. As an adult he worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory on the Galileo orbiter and probe that studied Jupiter.
And then one day, while hooking up his latest invention
to the bathroom sink to test it out …
WHOOSH!
Water shot across the room. “This would make a great water gun,” Lonnie thought.
Meet the innovative engineer who unexpectedly invented one
of the most popular toys of all time—the Super Soaker.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501932267

Chris Barton

Chris Barton really loves writing books such as the bestseller Shark vs. Train, the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book The Day-Glo Brothers, the Mighty Truck series, and Attack! Boss! Cheat Code! A Gamer's Alphabet. Chris and his family live in Austin, Texas.

Reviews for Whoosh!

[rbradfute-756080 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When reading " Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions" there is a big splash! Most people know the super soaker, one of the top toys of all time. It was so not mean to be invented but it was by accident. By trying to create a new cooling system for fridges and air conditioners, Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for this iconic toy. After reading this picture book, students in the class, can take what they know about the toy and go back to see how the invention was overall made along with a background from Lonnie Johnson's life.

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lonnie Johnson was a child always tinkering who became an adult who always inventing. An engineer for NASA, he later ended up patenting the super soaker water gun as a side result of another project. This book tells the story of his perseverance in simple, clear terms for young readers with incredibly inviting illustrations. My 9-year-old niece "loved" this book and was impressed to learn that Johnson is still alive and working.

[ebrossette · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book follows the life of Lonnie Johnson, and his journey from the science fair, to engineer, to inventor. Barton does a great job at explaining each one of Johnson's accomplishments in a way that is fascinating and easy to understand.

[robinsonstef · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story of perseverance and creative thinking.

[weeturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would liken this to Hadfield's "Darkest Dark" in that I could see this inspiring a kid to pursue similar dreams. (My nephew is all about being an astronaut at the moment). It's illustrated but there is more reading than in a typical picture book, and it makes a good story that also happens to be factual. It focuses on the positive message of overcoming challenges. A good book for someone with interests in tinkering.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whoosh! is the story of Lonnie Johnson, the inventor of the Super Soaker Water Gun. Lonnie was always an inventor, even as a child. While he was told that he would not make an engineer based on tests he took in school, he did not give up. He worked hard to make his dream come true. Beginning with childhood robots, Lonnie worked his way up to becoming an engineer for NASA.
Whoosh! is Lonnie Johnson’s life accessible to young children. When he accidentally invented the Super Soaker Water Gun, he tried to sell it to toy companies. He had no success, but he did not give up. He quit his job as NASA and had to move his family out of the family home. He did not give up and eventually sold the water gun and made a lot of money from it.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful. I think children will enjoy the story behind the toy that most people are familiar with. Lonnie Johnson is a great role model, he doesn’t give up and he doesn’t let his circumstances define him. He doesn’t fit our ‘mold’ of an inventor. Lonnie shows readers that there is always something new to create. This might encourage readers to get out there and build something of their own. What a great book to read to children before a Science Fair or unit on creativity and inventions. Even though this is a biography, it is geared to children, easy to read and understand. Lonnie Johnson’s story is the perfect book to include in an elementary school or classroom library.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[katherine.boykins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lonnie Johnson loves to invent new things, he even invented something for NASA. One day, while working on another project, he gets the idea for the Super Soaker. After being told no many times, he finally finds a toy company willing to sell his product. Whoosh! is a great book that shows an inventor overcoming adversity to reach his goals. Many students have played with a water gun during the summer, so having a book about the inventor could entice students to read a biography. This book also shows students that problem solving is an important part of life.

[pataustin_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As shown on the energetic cover illustration, from boyhood to manhood, Lonnie Johnson was interested in building things. Blueprint endpapers invite readers into this picture book biography that will inspire fellow tinkerers and future inventors. Raised in Mobile, Alabama, he was encouraged by his parents but discouraged when an exam said he wouldn’t be a good engineer. Fortunately, he ignored the prognostication, went on to earn a degree at Tuskegee and impressively became the NASA engineer who figured out how to maintain the power supply to send an orbiter and probe to Jupiter. In problem-solving an environment-friendly cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, his experiments led him to invent a super-soaking water gun. Although marketing his invention to toy companies was not an easy path, Lonnie was persistent. He’s still in his workshop today, inventing and solving. A teacher can share this book and explore the character traits that led Lonnie Johnson to success.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great, contemporary picture book biography, about someone who is living now and still inventing!!