Samuel Morse

Children's Literature

Samuel Morse was the inventor of the telegraph and the code of dots and dashes called the Morse code. Although remembered as an inventor, Morse earned his living as a portrait painter. Looking for ways to make more money, he and his brother invented a water pump for firemen and a machine to cut marble. Later, inspired by discussions of how electricity traveled through wires, Morse invented a machine that sent an electronic message along a wire and revolutionized communication in his time. This biography is part of the "Lives and Times" series, books on the lives of famous people. The brief account of the life of Samuel Morse—almost picture book in format with large print text and colorful illustrations on every page—is entertaining, informative and written for the youngest readers. Words highlighted in bold are defined in the glossary. And kids will readily understand the definitions given for words such as code or communicate. At the end of the book readers will find a Fact File (the first telegraph message was a quote from the Bible), the glossary, a list of more books to read and an index. 2004, Heinemann Library/Reed Elsevier, Ages 4 to 6.
—Anita Barnes Lowen

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-These books impart the salient facts about each man. The writing tends toward pedantic; short sentences offer an emotionless entry into each inventor's world. Dates and places are clearly presented, but motives and passions are not always as evident. Childhood and early years are briefly mentioned, but the real focus is on what led to the development of the invention. Fulton's time in France is highlighted as it directly impacted his eventual creation of the steamboat. Deere's early work and apprenticeship as a blacksmith were integral to his development of the steel plow. Morse studied painting in his young adult years, and although this connection to his producing the telegraph machine is never stated, it is this volume that gives readers the clearest sense of its subject and his ideas. A real strength of these biographies are the illustrations; maps, contemporary photographs, sketches, and reproductions are neatly woven into the texts. The appended time lines and "Fact File" boxes are interesting and easy to understand. Young report writers will find enough information here to get them started.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.