Impossible Inventions: Ideas That Shouldn’t Work

What could be better than a collection of crazy inventions! Each entry has two pages that show how the invention works (or doesn’t!), followed by a two-page cartoon involving the invention in funny situations. The title, Impossible Inventions, is a little misleading, as some of the ideas actually worked, liked records made of ice (2012 by a Swedish record company) or automatic temple doors (from the Greeks in the 1st century CE).

The illustrations use only one to two colors per page, but they are really interesting. They are a good combination of simple drawings and detail. While the pictures aren’t very realistic, they are super funny, with humorous quotes. For instance, when an exercise wheel invention is shown on the beach, a woman says “Awesome,” and a muscle man responds, “Not as awesome as my abs.” The style of the diagrams of the inventions reminded me a little bit of the book How Things Work.

I think this book will appeal to a wide range of creative kids and adults. I don’t know how the author chose which inventions to include, but it’s a great collection, with everything from a “running bike” to a “concentration helmet” to a “robotic chess master.” It includes ancient inventions like a “water clock” to the present day, like a “3D space base.” It’s definitely a unique book I’ll go back to reread, and it has inspired me to start doing my own inventing!