Fairy Floss: The Sweet Story of Cotton Candy

by Ann Ingalls, Migy Blanco (Illustrator)

Step right up and read about the debut of cotton candy at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904!

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, was an exhibition like none other. It had huge buildings for displaying all sorts of inventions and machines, exhibits from all around the world, and vendors selling new foods, including something called Fairy Floss, which we now call cotton candy.

In this book, a young girl named Lily and her Aunt Mae are told all about Fairy Floss by John Wharton, one of the inventors. Lily can't wait to go to the Fair and see how it's made. While there, she even makes a batch for herself!

Readers will get a glimpse of the excitement and innovation of the Fair through the descriptive text and the detailed illustrations in this beautiful historical fiction picture book.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Food, Childrens, History

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

My niece read this book on her own and she loved it so much that she told me I had to read it so I did. She loves this book. She said “It’s old timey and has to do with fairy floss and cotton candy. It’s the best book.” So, I told her I would read it.

I love the old feel to the art. It reminds me of cartoons of the turn of the century Disney might have done. It is bright and happy. It tells the story of John Wharton and William Morrison, a dentist, who came up with a way to make cotton candy. It’s pretty straight forward. I didn’t know any of this history. I love when they go to the 1904 World’s fair and all the pictures and art of the time. They bring you into the time period. I’m not a fan of Cotton Candy, but it is a very cute book.

In parts of the world, cotton candy is called: Sugar cotton, sugar woold, Papa’s beard, breeze cotton, pinkie floss, candy feathers, candy cloud, spun sugar, candy floss and candy fluff. The inventors called it Fairy floss which I agree with my niece that this is the best name of all. My niece gave it a very loud and enthusastic 5 stars. I did learn something from it.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes some history of the World's Fair in St Louis as well as the history of Cotton Candy. It feels very fanciful with its colors and phrasing, like an idealized version of times gone by.

[Michele Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about the origins of the candy, but with the amount of invented dialogue hard to classify it as nonfiction. Have to teach young readers how to look for the facts through the narrative.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction picture book includes real facts about fairy floss (cotton candy) and the world fair in St. Louis in 1904. It follows a fictional little girl Lillie and her Aunt Mae as they visit the fair in search of their candy making friend and his cotton candy stand, where he is demonstrating his new invention, a cotton candy machine.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book about the early history of cotton candy, or fairy floss, as it was known. Bright colorful painted illustrations and text show and tell the story of how John Wharton, a candymaker, and his friend, William Morrison who invented an electric candy machine that makes fairy floss. Ingalls shows how an electric motor spun and heated sugar to turn it into cotton candy. Wharton and Morrison showed off their invention at the St. Louis World's Fair. In those illustrations, you can see other inventions showed off at the fair including the Ferris wheel. Ingalls author's note is most informative. Ingalls's book is sweet and light just like cotton candy yet informative. Perfect book to read on December 7th, Cotton Candy Day.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the world's first electric cotton candy machine and it's unveiling at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 told through the point of view of a fictional little girl visiting the fair with her aunt.

A historical fiction picture book that educates about the development and process of making cotton candy. There's a page in the back with some further historical information. The illustrations are bright and colorful and should attract little readers. Read this before visiting a fair, or read it and grab some cotton candy, and maybe go watch Meet Me in St. Louis (or at least listen to the song).

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this reads more as a nonfiction narrative about the invention of cotton candy rather than a STEM story. There's little that makes this STEM in my mind -- the invention process isn't describe, there's no trial and error to show the invention process, and the mechanics of the machine are only briefly described. While it's an interesting story, the thin details and lack of information make this a less than ideal book. The illustrations are engaging and the storyline is fairly straightforward, making it a best choice for kindergarten and 1st graders.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of cotton candy and a young girl's trip to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair lets children put themselves in a different world, when the Palace of Electricity showcased wonders such as toasters and electric cotton candy making machines! STEM and history are a sweet match in this lovely book with enchanting illustrations. Bookmarking this one especially for library and school use.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis introduced the world to Dr Pepper, the ice cream cone and Fairy Floss. This spun sugar confection is more widely known in the USA as cotton candy and here is its origin story. Told in boldly colored illustrations and from a young girl's point of view, it is a book that is as fluffy as the treat it is about.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis, meet me at the fair!" A young girl going to the World's Fair in St. Louis must see the inventors of cotton candy, and taste this delicious new invention! Nonfiction information in the back of the book.

[Precious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool. Mind was blown when it said that they sold 68,655 books at the St. Louis world's Fair!

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of how we got cotton candy.

[Mic · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE ART IS TO DIE FOR

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about inventions, could be more detailed. K-2

[Kirsten Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes facts about how cotton candy was invented and sold at 1904 World’s Fair

Pair with “Mr. Ferris’s Wheel”

1st read: Oct 2018

[Logan Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading this picture book, as it told the history of how the modern cotton candy machine was made in a fun and enjoyable story. I thought it would be fun to find a traditional cotton candy machine and make some in class as a reward/ party day. It also talks about world fairs which is something I feel could make a fun project for older grades. I thought it would be fun to have students read about an invention that was showcased during a world fair and give a presentation on the invention they chose. This project may be a harder assignment, so I may have to find a list of inventions instead.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered how Cotton Candy is made?
The time was 1897 when a dentist and a candy maker patented a candy "floss" making machine. It would be showcased at the St. Louis World's Fair.
One young girl goes to the 1904 World's Fair, eyes opened to the invention, creativity and spectacle of the fairs' early intriguing inventions including electrical appliances, but falls in love with Fairy Floss.

Celebrate National Cotton Candy Day on Dec. 7th with this sweet picture book, full of deliciously candy-colored illustrations and a simplistic but educational story about Cotton Candy's debut.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most boring nonfiction children's book I've read. A store owner invites a couple regular customers to come visit him at the fair to sample his new, thin fairy floss. And they do. But it takes them the entire book to get there, for no reason. The story does not do a good job of introducing fairy floss.

[Elizabeth James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute, quaint retelling of the genesis of cotton candy—something I had never thought about before! I loved that it was made very accessible for kids and left me hungry for even more details!

[Evan Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me nostalgic for another time! Wishing I could’ve been at the World’s Fair in St. Louis to see them make cotton candy on an electric machine for the first time, and all the other cool stuff that was happening. I was born too late.

[Donna Mork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book about cotton candy's invention (aka fairy floss) set at the Worlds Fair. Lots of historic information given in a cute, fun children's book. Nice illustrations.

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction. Cotton candy lovers will enjoy learning about it.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My cotton candy loving little girl enjoyed this one! The illustrations are lovely and the story is well told; informative and fun.

[Ronni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Q

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great job blending history and story.

[Lynne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit drawn out. The fairy floss was already in play on the first page and the rest was mainly interesting facts about the world's fair.

[Buku Arutala · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn't really tell how the electric candy machine was invented. It more tells Lili's story who comes to the Palace of electricity to see the electric candy machine. A little bit disappointed with the story line because I expected more.

[Gina]

A great introduction to the history of cotton candy or "fairy floss." The illustrations are bright and inviting and the story is told on just the right level - informative and easy to understand.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a great book about the history of Fairy Floss then read this one. I really loved the color artwork and the note in the back of the book that gives you information about who created it.