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Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight
The origin story of the Frisbee.
Fred Morrison is credited as the inventor of the Frisbee, but for centuries folks have been flipping for flying discs. Ancient Greeks flicked discs, and beginning in the 1920s, college kids at Yale University were tossing pie tins. Fred lived in California and had no idea about ancient Greeks or East Coast college kids. His invention quest began in 1932 after tossing a tin popcorn lid around the backyard. For more than twenty years, Fred and his wife, Lu, tried and failed to perfect a flying-disc concept. Eventually they created what we know today as the Frisbee.
Fred Morrison is credited as the inventor of the Frisbee, but for centuries folks have been flipping for flying discs. Ancient Greeks flicked discs, and beginning in the 1920s, college kids at Yale University were tossing pie tins. Fred lived in California and had no idea about ancient Greeks or East Coast college kids. His invention quest began in 1932 after tossing a tin popcorn lid around the backyard. For more than twenty years, Fred and his wife, Lu, tried and failed to perfect a flying-disc concept. Eventually they created what we know today as the Frisbee.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published April 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 9, 2020
I didn't know the history of frisbees be this interesting and fun!
It started out as early as the 1920s according to this book. And yes, it's more than that. It's not the sportspersons who started out with this fun object. Everything started out fun and still it remains one too!
As simple as this but what a revolutionary item frisbees has been throughout the decades is what this story picture book tells you alongwith beautiful, realistic illustrations and accurate historical facts.
The pioneers, Fred and Lu. I came to know you through this book! So grateful.
Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.
It started out as early as the 1920s according to this book. And yes, it's more than that. It's not the sportspersons who started out with this fun object. Everything started out fun and still it remains one too!
As simple as this but what a revolutionary item frisbees has been throughout the decades is what this story picture book tells you alongwith beautiful, realistic illustrations and accurate historical facts.
The pioneers, Fred and Lu. I came to know you through this book! So grateful.
Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.
August 20, 2021
Wonderful book on how the Frisbee became an iconic toy around the world!
July 28, 2021
Just. Wow. This book is engaging and informative--I loved learning about how frisbees began to soar.
December 12, 2020
Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 17th April 2021 - publication day!
This was a really fun and interesting read about the origin of the Frisbee!
I thought that the illustrations in the book were great and they really brought the story to life.
I liked the humble beginnings and how it developed to become a something hat it still played with today - my daughter had one in the summer and loved playing with it so it really shows that it is something that is universal and has stood the test of time too.
I really enjoyed it - 5 stars from me, highly recommended!
This was a really fun and interesting read about the origin of the Frisbee!
I thought that the illustrations in the book were great and they really brought the story to life.
I liked the humble beginnings and how it developed to become a something hat it still played with today - my daughter had one in the summer and loved playing with it so it really shows that it is something that is universal and has stood the test of time too.
I really enjoyed it - 5 stars from me, highly recommended!
March 14, 2021
A fluid and engaging story of how the frisbee came to be the toy that is so well known today. I really liked that the story was continuous and incorporated the dual origins.
Having excellent illustrations, rather than the computer generated images often seen in nonfiction books, boosted this book to 5 wonderful stars for me.
This is how children's nonfiction should always be done!
Having excellent illustrations, rather than the computer generated images often seen in nonfiction books, boosted this book to 5 wonderful stars for me.
This is how children's nonfiction should always be done!
September 6, 2021
Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight is a children's picture book written by Margaret Muirhead and illustrated by Adam Gustavson. It centers on how Fred Morrison invented the Frisbee.
Walter Frederick "Fred" Morrison was an American inventor and entrepreneur, who invented the Frisbee.
Muirhead's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Zippy, well-paced text teeming with consonance and energetic, engaging retro-style illustrations trace Morrison’s development of the toy. Backmatter includes an author's note and sources. Period illustrations feature an all-White cast, with people of color appearing in a contemporary park scene.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. No one knows exactly who created the flying disc – it could be from prehistoric times and several incidents throughout world history. However, one thing is certain: Fred Morrison became entranced with the idea of a flying disc and was convinced that it could succeed.
After pursuing several prototypes, bouncing back from failure, partnering with his wife, and blending the idea with the space craze of the late '40s and '50s, Morrison was eventually able to sell his design – called the Pluto Platter to Wham-O, a toy company that learned of the pie plates in New England, tweaked the name, and began to distribute the Frisbee we know today.
All in all, Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight is an appealing true tale of innovation and perseverance.
Walter Frederick "Fred" Morrison was an American inventor and entrepreneur, who invented the Frisbee.
Muirhead's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Zippy, well-paced text teeming with consonance and energetic, engaging retro-style illustrations trace Morrison’s development of the toy. Backmatter includes an author's note and sources. Period illustrations feature an all-White cast, with people of color appearing in a contemporary park scene.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. No one knows exactly who created the flying disc – it could be from prehistoric times and several incidents throughout world history. However, one thing is certain: Fred Morrison became entranced with the idea of a flying disc and was convinced that it could succeed.
After pursuing several prototypes, bouncing back from failure, partnering with his wife, and blending the idea with the space craze of the late '40s and '50s, Morrison was eventually able to sell his design – called the Pluto Platter to Wham-O, a toy company that learned of the pie plates in New England, tweaked the name, and began to distribute the Frisbee we know today.
All in all, Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight is an appealing true tale of innovation and perseverance.
August 30, 2021
Meet Fred Morrison, who took from tossing cake pans after filling Thanksgiving meals to becoming one of the most successful toy/athletic pieces of equipment, the Frisbee.
Whether it is from Fred's endeavors, the Olympian discus, Aliens in Roswell New Mexico or college kids tossing pizza trays from a place called Frisbee, meet Fred and follow his entrepreneurship to create this iconic toy.
A fun read of a unique entrepreneur. I honestly had no clue where the contemporary frisbee came from, so this was a fun read. I'm glad that more historians are finding out about these unique inventions and sharing them with future generations. I hope it inspires them to think outside the box and get creative.
Whether it is from Fred's endeavors, the Olympian discus, Aliens in Roswell New Mexico or college kids tossing pizza trays from a place called Frisbee, meet Fred and follow his entrepreneurship to create this iconic toy.
A fun read of a unique entrepreneur. I honestly had no clue where the contemporary frisbee came from, so this was a fun read. I'm glad that more historians are finding out about these unique inventions and sharing them with future generations. I hope it inspires them to think outside the box and get creative.
December 5, 2021
Fun Frisbee Facts!
Okay, the story of the Frisbee.
I already knew about the college students with pie tins,but not about Fred Morrison, who truly created the plastic disks. His story is one of persistence--and it's a good one for young inventors.
Okay, the story of the Frisbee.
I already knew about the college students with pie tins,but not about Fred Morrison, who truly created the plastic disks. His story is one of persistence--and it's a good one for young inventors.
July 30, 2021
Fun story. Nice illustrations.
July 22, 2021
Frisbee is one of my favorite activities, so that's probably why Flip! caught my eye. I'm glad it did, because Flip! is an impressive work of nonfiction with smartly drawn action illustrations to match.
January 28, 2021
Fred Morrison was the man who invented the Frisbee. This book talks about how it was thought of, and even after going to war, Fred was able to begin selling. If you ever wondered how the Frisbee came to be, this is your book.
April 29, 2021
Great story for any age!
June 19, 2021
What a great invention story! Made me want to run outside and throw a Frisbee around.
June 25, 2021
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really cute and interesting book! worth the read for all ages.
April 28, 2021
First seen as a pie tin throwing fad on a college campus in 1920, then in 1937 Fred Morrison threw a popcorn lid to his girlfriend at Thanksgiving, and played with the cool flying disc all over. Soon the popcorn lid dented and wouldn't fly straight, so Fred tried a pie plate then a cake pan. Fred was a pilot in WWII and designed a flying tin with curved edges like a plane's wings. Then when he got home, he marketed it as a flying saucer toy which eventually was noticed by Wham-O, who renamed it Frisbee - the rest is history!
Oh Boy! The story of the Frisbee - I loved the illustrations so much, very mid 20th century in both style and look. The text was just right and the story well told. Includes an author's note and sources. An awesome non-fiction choice for my middle school.
Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com
Oh Boy! The story of the Frisbee - I loved the illustrations so much, very mid 20th century in both style and look. The text was just right and the story well told. Includes an author's note and sources. An awesome non-fiction choice for my middle school.
Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com
April 13, 2021
Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through NetGalley and Edelweiss.
February 5, 2021
First sentence: For centuries, folks have been flipping for flying discs. Did cave kids reel round rocks? Maybe. Did the most macho of the Ancient Greeks flick discs? Certainly. But who really invented the thrilling, top-selling toy that came to be called the Frisbee?
Premise/plot: Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight is a nonfiction book for children about the invention of the Frisbee. The book offers two behind-the-scenes glimpses of how this craze--this toy--took off. First highlighting Joseph P. Frisbie and his pie pans in New England starting in the 1920s, and then highlighting Fred Morrison and his eventual-wife Lu who began playing around with popcorn tins, pie pans, cake pans, etc. in the 1930s in California. It was Morrison's passionate obsession--lasting decades--that led to the plastic product...but it was the name FRISBEE that stuck! (Frisbee sounds so much better than PLUTO PLATTER, don't you think?!
My thoughts: I enjoyed this nonfiction book! I didn't know that the Frisbee was manufactured/distributed by the same toy company that had great success with the Hula Hoop. Of course that wasn't the only I Didn't Know moment the book offers.
You can watch a short video aired originally on Decades about the Pluto Platter/Frisbee.
Premise/plot: Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight is a nonfiction book for children about the invention of the Frisbee. The book offers two behind-the-scenes glimpses of how this craze--this toy--took off. First highlighting Joseph P. Frisbie and his pie pans in New England starting in the 1920s, and then highlighting Fred Morrison and his eventual-wife Lu who began playing around with popcorn tins, pie pans, cake pans, etc. in the 1930s in California. It was Morrison's passionate obsession--lasting decades--that led to the plastic product...but it was the name FRISBEE that stuck! (Frisbee sounds so much better than PLUTO PLATTER, don't you think?!
My thoughts: I enjoyed this nonfiction book! I didn't know that the Frisbee was manufactured/distributed by the same toy company that had great success with the Hula Hoop. Of course that wasn't the only I Didn't Know moment the book offers.
You can watch a short video aired originally on Decades about the Pluto Platter/Frisbee.
October 11, 2021
I grew up with Frisbees everywhere I looked. They appeared in my Easter basket and in my pile of birthday gifts. Then I went to college and there were loads of kids tossing them around on the campus green. However, I had no idea about the history of the Frisbee until I read FLIP: HOW THE FUTURE TOOK FLIGHT.
This fun picture book biography details the beginnings on the Yale campus in the 1920s through present day when “more than two million twirl around the world.” Over the years Fred Morrison worked to perfect the Frisbee design through several different versions from pie plates to popcorn tin lids to cake pans.Thanks to Fred’s perseverance and ingenuity, along with some help from the Wham-o Company, today’s modern plastic version of the Frisbee is familiar to all ages.
This charming story, with illustrations that seem to have walked out of a Norman Rockwell painting, will grab the attention of ages 4-10. It’s a must for elementary and public library collections.
This fun picture book biography details the beginnings on the Yale campus in the 1920s through present day when “more than two million twirl around the world.” Over the years Fred Morrison worked to perfect the Frisbee design through several different versions from pie plates to popcorn tin lids to cake pans.Thanks to Fred’s perseverance and ingenuity, along with some help from the Wham-o Company, today’s modern plastic version of the Frisbee is familiar to all ages.
This charming story, with illustrations that seem to have walked out of a Norman Rockwell painting, will grab the attention of ages 4-10. It’s a must for elementary and public library collections.
September 8, 2021
Margaret Muirhead captures the entrepreneurial spirit of Fred Morrison, the first person to market these flying saucers we now call Frisbees. It was interesting to find out that across the nation, college kids were flinging pie pans, while simultaneously, Fred was doing the same. Written in a playful style with decent cadence, like when the popcorn "lid dipped, skipped, fluttered, and flew." However, Muirhead did go a little overboard with alliteration.
The illustrations were done in gouache (opaque watercolor), which worked well with the color palette, structure, and overall form. However, the features and form of the faces were clown-like and retro, which I don't think kids will find appealing, not to mention a little creepy.
The illustrations were done in gouache (opaque watercolor), which worked well with the color palette, structure, and overall form. However, the features and form of the faces were clown-like and retro, which I don't think kids will find appealing, not to mention a little creepy.
April 2, 2026
Beautiful illustrations depicting (at least one independent occurrence of) the invention and rise of the Frisbee (which is a brand name owned by Wham-O Inc. and therefore should be referred to by a generic term of flying disc). As someone who loves to play ultimate, this was a fun read for my little one, and an interesting one for me. I also appreciated how the author mentioned in the Author's Note at the end of the book this was only one facet of the invention of the flying disc that he personally chose to focus on rather than a comprehensive history as many individuals and/or organizations claim a stake.
October 18, 2021
Review is part of Cybils Awards
Did you know how the frisbee was "invented"? Where did it originate and how did it become so popular? Who makes these today and why does everyone love playing the frisbee?
Read "Flip" to find out more :)
Did you know how the frisbee was "invented"? Where did it originate and how did it become so popular? Who makes these today and why does everyone love playing the frisbee?
Read "Flip" to find out more :)
April 29, 2022
Muirhead explains the history of the Frisbee at an elementary language level. She takes readers from ancient times through pie plates and popcorn lids to cake pans to Morrison's invention made with plastic.
The illustrations are realistic and detailed.
The illustrations are realistic and detailed.
February 18, 2023
An interesting way to know more about a toy that all kid use one in a live. It is not a harder illustrated book and I belive that it make it awesome.
High recomended!!
Thanks Netgalley for the oportunity to read it.
High recomended!!
Thanks Netgalley for the oportunity to read it.
March 5, 2023
Interesting and nice illustrations, but too wordy for the intended age group. It was also confusing because the book started by mentioning the ancient Greeks but did not actually talk about how they related to the development of the frisbee.
September 8, 2021
Interesting tale of how the frisbee was invented and manufactured.
September 9, 2021
Cool story of the frisbee!! (Library)
September 9, 2021
A delight! Readers of all ages will learn about the origins of the oddly-named classic toy, and the humorous, retro illustrations are lots of fun.
December 16, 2021
Fun to learn about and had beautiful illustrations.
January 6, 2022
Fun! Fascinating, and readable narrative nonfiction & quasi-biography for upper elementary readers about the invention of the Frisbee. Who knew!
January 11, 2022
Fun story on the origins of the frisbee and how it evolved from pie plate and popcorn lid to now as we know it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews