As a boy at the turn of the twentieth century, Frank Epperson planned to become an inventor. In the meantime, he enjoyed experimenting and tinkering, especially with soda water and flavored powders. When he tried leaving a glass of his concoction outside overnight, it froze around the spoon. He could pull out the treat and lick it instead of sipping it. Years later, he noticed people eating ice-cream bars. Remembering his early invention, he developed a mold and freezing apparatus, added a wooden stick, and marketed the Popsicle to support his growing family. The writing is colorful and so is the breezy mixed-media artwork. Illustrated with vintage photos, an appended double-page spread presents more information about Epperson and his most famous invention. Four one-page activities appear at intervals, encouraging kids to make their own flavored soda water and frozen treats or do simple experiments. While the placement of the activity pages within the narrative interrupts the flow, it ties them more closely to the story. An upbeat, biographical picture book with plenty of kid appeal.

Boxing is known as the sweet science, but the inventor of the Popsicle, might disagree.Born in 1894, Frank William Epperson always seemed to know he wanted to be a great inventor when he grew up. He was an inquisitive young boy, always pondering big questions: "Do goldfish sleep? Do ants have ears? Do woodpeckers get headaches from pecking all day?" Frank's back porch was his laboratory, where he "tinkered and tested. Analyzed and scrutinized." When he was 10, he built a handcar with two handles and zipped around the neighborhood. But it was his interest in liquids, flavored soda waters in particular, that led to his great invention. One unusually cold San Francisco night in 1905, he left one of his drinks outside, and by morning it had frozen. "He had invented a frozen drink on a stick!" But it wasn't until years later that the adult Epperson acted on the memory. He created a box in which he could freeze several test tubes filled with fruit juice and created the Ep-sicle to sell at shops, county fairs, and beaches. Pavlović's exuberant mixed-media illustrations are the perfect complement to Renaud's lively text. They even intersperse science experiments to help young readers understand the science behind Frank's procedures. Epperson, his family, and his environs were white; the final double-page spread offers a diverse cast of characters united in their love of Epperson's invention, now called Popsicles.Sweet. (Picture book. 4-8)

PreS-Gr 3 From an early age, Frank Epperson knew he wanted to be an inventor. He understood that serious inventors had to experiment before achieving success. The experiments he enjoyed most were ones that used flavored soda water. Epperson loved the sound of the bubbles popping in the water and found that adding different fruits to his concoctions created delicious, fizzy drinks. During an unusual cold snap in 1905 in his native California, Epperson experimented by leaving a glass of flavored soda water outside overnight. The next morning he discovered his water had frozen solid. Later, noticing the popularity of chocolate-covered ice cream on a stick, Epperson recalled his early experiment and marketed his frozen treat as the "Ep-sicle." By that time, Frank was married and had nine children, who would frequently ask, "Pop, can we have a 'sicle?" Thus, the catchy name was born. The mixed-media illustrations are bright and express Frank's enthusiasm. Use of speech and thought bubbles also add interest. There are directions for four experiments sprinkled throughout the story. Placing them together in the back rather than in the midst of the narrative might have made for a smoother read. VERDICT Useful in STEM and history lessons, as well as an inspiring story of a young person's passion and perseverance. Recommended for most collections. Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY