Even as a young boy, Elijah McCoy was fascinated with machinery. Born in 1843 as one of 12 children, he was sent away at age 16 to learn mechanical engineering in Scotland by parents who themselves had escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Upon returning to the family home, Elijah got a job with the Michigan Central Railroad, not as an engineer as he hoped cause he was black t as an "ashcat," a man who "greased the pig" by feeding the firebox and oiling the engine. It was dirty and dangerous work, and at night Elijah spent hours working on drawings of experimental oil cups that would continuously grease a train's engine. In 1872, he applied for a patent, the first of 57, and embarked upon a life of engine inventions. On the last page, the phrase "the real McCoy," meaning the real thing, is explained: Elijah's original oil cup. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations add whimsy to this entry in the Great Idea series, especially in facial expressions. Overall, this portrayal is more playful than The Real McCoy, by Wendy Towle (1993).

K-Gr 3 An engaging biography of the African-American inventor. The son of former slaves who escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad, young McCoy was interested in how machines work. At age 16, he went to Scotland to study mechanical engineering. After his schooling was complete, he joined his family in Michigan, where he applied for work at the Michigan Central Railroad. He was offered a job oiling the train wheels and shoveling coal rather than building and designing engines. In need of employment, he accepted the "ashcat" position, and as he toiled away at the dangerous job, he realized that there had to be a safer way to keep the trains running. For two years, McCoy made drawings and eventually a model of an oil cup to supply lubrication to the moving parts of the engine. Wisely, he patented his invention and convinced his employer to give it a trial run. The train to Kalamazoo arrived at its destination in record time without having to stop to oil the engine machinery. The narrative includes fictionalized dialogue and clear explanations about how the machinery works and concludes with an inspiring message. "When Elijah got older, he encouraged children to stay in school and to follow their dreams too." Expressive watercolors, some full page and some full spread, capture the time period, allowing readers to imagine what life was like in this era, and add energy and touches of humor. Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA