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Perkin's Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry
The fascinating true story of groundbreaking chemist William Perkin, who used the scientific method to invent a new way for creating the color purple.
Many years ago, the color purple was available only to a privileged few. Making purple was tricky. The dye was concocted from a certain snail, and later, from plants, bugs, and rocks. Then it had to be soaked in minerals and . . . urine! The process was very complicated and expensive (not to mention smelly!).
Until 1856, when a boy named William Henry Perkin invented a new way. While testing a hypothesis about a cure for malaria, he found that his experiment resulted in something else -- something vivid and rare for the times: synthetic PURPLE. Perkin, a pioneer of the modern scientific method, made numerous advances possible, including canned food and chemotherapy. But it was his creation of purple that started it all.
Authors Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn craft a compelling tale, and Francesca Sanna's dynamic art is a joyous celebration of Perkin's impactful purple.
Many years ago, the color purple was available only to a privileged few. Making purple was tricky. The dye was concocted from a certain snail, and later, from plants, bugs, and rocks. Then it had to be soaked in minerals and . . . urine! The process was very complicated and expensive (not to mention smelly!).
Until 1856, when a boy named William Henry Perkin invented a new way. While testing a hypothesis about a cure for malaria, he found that his experiment resulted in something else -- something vivid and rare for the times: synthetic PURPLE. Perkin, a pioneer of the modern scientific method, made numerous advances possible, including canned food and chemotherapy. But it was his creation of purple that started it all.
Authors Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn craft a compelling tale, and Francesca Sanna's dynamic art is a joyous celebration of Perkin's impactful purple.
56 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2020
141 people want to read
About the author
Tami Lewis Brown
7 books2 followersTami Lewis Brown is the author of the novel The Map of Me and the picture book Soar, Elinor!, illustrated by François Roca. She holds an M.F.A. in writing for children from Vermont College and lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 29, 2023
Great story for a small child who likes science - chemistry in particular - great art. I think it is very important to provide young children with books that can help them decide what they are interested in. No question that we need more young people going into STEM fields. This book is a great first step in that direction.
October 14, 2020
This fascinating picture book biography is about a young man who accidentally created a vibrant purple dye while working on a medical experiment. The author grounds his achievement in its historic context, giving a sense of how difficult and expensive it was for people to dye fabric, and she also emphasizes how new the scientific method was during this era.
Perkin's discovery of a synthetic dye process led to related advances in a variety of different fields, including medicine. The author connects his story to STEM and art interests today, and this is a great book for children who are interested in these fields. I found this book fascinating, was glad to learn the unusual true story, and appreciate how well-presented it is here.
Perkin's discovery of a synthetic dye process led to related advances in a variety of different fields, including medicine. The author connects his story to STEM and art interests today, and this is a great book for children who are interested in these fields. I found this book fascinating, was glad to learn the unusual true story, and appreciate how well-presented it is here.
June 11, 2022
It's hard to imagine a time when purple dye didn't exist. Find out in this biography how it came to be in the mid 1800s through chemistry.
January 13, 2021
I really loved this! It has all of the qualities I look for in a picture book biography and avoided a lot of the pitfalls- it's interesting and informative, has charming illustrations, and isn't too wordy, boring, or stiff.
August 1, 2022
A vibrant nonfiction picture book regarding the life of William Henry Perkin. The book takes us through Perkin's life as a chemist and how he discovered how to make the color purple while conducting experiments to find a cure for malaria. The images in this book pop and the text is engaging and informative. Readers will enjoy learning about the process of creating dyes and use of the scientific method during experimentation. End pages give a summary of other scientific contributions by Perkins as well as a fun color experiment to do with kids. A great STEAM based read for those who love experimenting or those who love the color purple.
- Reviewed by Chelsea G.
- Reviewed by Chelsea G.
March 7, 2021
William Henry Perkin wanted to pursue science when it wasn't cool or lucrative. Like many scientists, big discoveries go, he was trying to make a cure for malaria and ended up with a way to make a rich purple dye for cloth.
November 17, 2020
I found this book through one of my many book reviews subscriptions and thought it looked fascinating. Purple is my favorite color, so why not learn about how the color came to be processed and created for everyone's use (not just that of royalty). William Perkin's story was intriguing, as was the story of the color purple itself. I find it pretty cool that the process came to him totally by accident after his experiment to create a cheaper form of quinine, used to treat malaria. Not only did he find a way to create the color cheaper and allow for everyone's usage of it, but he also pioneered other medical advances like the cure for cholera and TB! Now I kind of want to read a biography on the man himself, hopefully with better grammar and a more concise explanation of the chemistry, which I thought might be a turn-off to some people. I liked the extra information on the man in the back, as well as the bibliography. Recommended for ages 9-12, 4 stars.
March 27, 2021
Perkin's Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry is a children's picture book written by the team of Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn and illustrated by Francesca Sanna. It is an introduction to the life and innovations of William Henry Perkin, an English chemist who tried to find a cure for malaria but instead produced purple for the people.
William Henry Perkin was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his serendipitous discovery of the first synthetic organic dye, mauveine, made from aniline. Though he failed in trying to synthesize quinine for the treatment of malaria, he became successful in the field of dyes after his first discovery at the age of eighteen.
Brown and Dunn's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The narrative is brisk, alliterative, and full of well-chosen details. Children will be intrigued at the ingenious and sometimes gross aspects of dye-making. Backmatter includes a bibliography and experiments. Sanna's controls an orderly palette, allowing the new hue to pop. Bright droplets are a design element throughout, framing key words, emanating from Perkin's attic laboratory, squirting off the page to celebrate his lasting impact.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. The challenge of producing purple was it was reserved for the rich and royals. Phoenicians had extracted the mucus of mollusks while the English soaked fabric in bark and berries, then urine to make it colorfast. Enter Perkin, son of a London carpenter. His professor at the Royal College of Chemistry, searching for an antidote during a malaria epidemic, gave Perkin a formula to attempt synthesizing quinine from coal tar. While the experiment failed, Perkin refined the scientific methodology and documentation and created a gorgeous new color.
All in all, Perkin's Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry is a perfect for STEAM-infused reading and for grasping the value of serendipity.
William Henry Perkin was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his serendipitous discovery of the first synthetic organic dye, mauveine, made from aniline. Though he failed in trying to synthesize quinine for the treatment of malaria, he became successful in the field of dyes after his first discovery at the age of eighteen.
Brown and Dunn's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The narrative is brisk, alliterative, and full of well-chosen details. Children will be intrigued at the ingenious and sometimes gross aspects of dye-making. Backmatter includes a bibliography and experiments. Sanna's controls an orderly palette, allowing the new hue to pop. Bright droplets are a design element throughout, framing key words, emanating from Perkin's attic laboratory, squirting off the page to celebrate his lasting impact.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. The challenge of producing purple was it was reserved for the rich and royals. Phoenicians had extracted the mucus of mollusks while the English soaked fabric in bark and berries, then urine to make it colorfast. Enter Perkin, son of a London carpenter. His professor at the Royal College of Chemistry, searching for an antidote during a malaria epidemic, gave Perkin a formula to attempt synthesizing quinine from coal tar. While the experiment failed, Perkin refined the scientific methodology and documentation and created a gorgeous new color.
All in all, Perkin's Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry is a perfect for STEAM-infused reading and for grasping the value of serendipity.
February 14, 2021
Very entertaining. Very well presented. Purple dye was nearly impossible to make and was only the province of the rich. Chemist William Henry Perkin, while working on a cure for malaria (!) discovered an affordable purple dye. While the clothes that followed were wildly popular, the real value came from Perkin's experimental process, which became the basis for the scientific process going forward.
February 18, 2021
Fascinating!
February 9, 2021
Delightful biography which completely captures its young audience (aka my 5 year old). I love the combinations of history and science, as well as the photographs in the back which make it all real.
January 3, 2021
A science experiment gone wrong yields another amazing result.
Using a process we now refer to as the "scientific method", William Henry Perkins was tasked to create some synthesized quinine from coal tar. What he discovered was a way to create synthetic purple dye that would not fade or wash out known as Perkins Purple (later also called mauveine), one of the first chemical dyes to be mass-produced. Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn have jointly written a biography that is sure to be relatable to the sensibilities today's kids. It includes a lot of factual information, presented in a story format with a little tongue-in-cheek humor. Backmatter includes a short bio about Perkin, a brief overview of how light helps us see color, how Perkin's discovery of synthetic purple dye changed the world, the steps in the scientific process, additional reading for kids and adults, and a few reproductions of paintings of Queen Victoria wearing purple, stamps printed with Perkin's purple ink, a photo of his family's factory, and a diagram of gram staining. A science experiment involving dying carnations that involves the scientific method is included on the back endsheet.
Digital illustrations by Francesca Sanna are filled with whimsy, detail, strong color, and flowing textures. The red, brown, blue, and shades of purple are pleasing to the eye and work well together, begging the reader to stop to look at them.
Perfect to include when studying the scientific method, scientists, trial and error, taking risks, and picture book biographies.
Recommended for K-5.
Using a process we now refer to as the "scientific method", William Henry Perkins was tasked to create some synthesized quinine from coal tar. What he discovered was a way to create synthetic purple dye that would not fade or wash out known as Perkins Purple (later also called mauveine), one of the first chemical dyes to be mass-produced. Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn have jointly written a biography that is sure to be relatable to the sensibilities today's kids. It includes a lot of factual information, presented in a story format with a little tongue-in-cheek humor. Backmatter includes a short bio about Perkin, a brief overview of how light helps us see color, how Perkin's discovery of synthetic purple dye changed the world, the steps in the scientific process, additional reading for kids and adults, and a few reproductions of paintings of Queen Victoria wearing purple, stamps printed with Perkin's purple ink, a photo of his family's factory, and a diagram of gram staining. A science experiment involving dying carnations that involves the scientific method is included on the back endsheet.
Digital illustrations by Francesca Sanna are filled with whimsy, detail, strong color, and flowing textures. The red, brown, blue, and shades of purple are pleasing to the eye and work well together, begging the reader to stop to look at them.
Perfect to include when studying the scientific method, scientists, trial and error, taking risks, and picture book biographies.
Recommended for K-5.
January 26, 2021
Many years ago, the color purple was available only to a privileged few because the process was very complicated and expensive. Then in 1856, a boy named William Henry Perkin was testing a hypothesis about a cure for malaria and found that his experiment resulted in something else--something vivid and rare for the times: synthetic purple. Perkin, a pioneer of the modern scientific method, made numerous advances possible, including canned food and chemotherapy. But it was his creation of purple that started it all. This book is a joyous celebration of Perkin's impactful purple.-- adapted from publisher description.
December 1, 2020
This a great story of perseverance, using the scientific method to solve problems, persuing one's interests. And how one discovery can lead to another and another and...
And for anyone who loves the color purple!
The final line recaps the book: "Perkin's purple set off a chemical reaction - a scientific revolution - a brighter, bolder, healthier, and happier tomorrow, all thanks to a colorful chemist - William Henry Perkin!"
Back matter includes:
Author's Note
Who Was William Henry Perkin?
What Is Color, and Why Is It Such a Big Deal?
How Did William Henry Perkin's Innovation Change the World?
What Is the Scientific Method?
Other Resources for Colorful Kids
Perform an Experiment of Your Own: Dying Carnations to the Perfect Shade
And for anyone who loves the color purple!
The final line recaps the book: "Perkin's purple set off a chemical reaction - a scientific revolution - a brighter, bolder, healthier, and happier tomorrow, all thanks to a colorful chemist - William Henry Perkin!"
Back matter includes:
Author's Note
Who Was William Henry Perkin?
What Is Color, and Why Is It Such a Big Deal?
How Did William Henry Perkin's Innovation Change the World?
What Is the Scientific Method?
Other Resources for Colorful Kids
Perform an Experiment of Your Own: Dying Carnations to the Perfect Shade
February 26, 2022
A vibrant non fiction picture book regarding the life of William Henry Perkin. The books takes us through Perkin's life as a chemist and how he discovered how to make the color purple while conducting experiments to find a cure for malaria. The images in this book pop and the text is engaging and informative. Readers will enjoy learning about the process of creating dyes and use of the scientific method during experimentation. End pages give a summary of other scientific contributions by Perkins as well as a fun color experiment to do with kids. A great STEAM based read for those who love experimenting or those who love the color purple.
November 19, 2020
A colorful history of the color purple. A young scientist accidentally discovers the process for creating this color while trying to figure out how to treat malaria using the compounds in coal. He isn't the person who did find the treatment for malaria, but he does discover how to dye fabric the rich purple that was once found in artifacts in Tyre - a process that was lost. His methods eventually helped in creating treatments for immune disorders, chemo, and cures for TB and cholera. Lots of back-matter about the scientific method, and the art illuminates this great discovery.
January 28, 2021
Gorgeous illustrations!
November 9, 2020
Lewis Brown presents a biography of William Perkins for elementary level readers. She brings readers from his childhood explorations to the experiments to replicate quinine through discovering the purple dye. She also emphasizes that others learned from him so more scientific discoveries were made. Explanation of the scientific method and more resources included at the end.
Read
November 4, 2020A beautifully illustrated bio of William Perkin
who discovered a new purple while trying
to cure malaria. A mouth full, but the story
unfolds smoothly and engages the reader
completely! Such a delight.
who discovered a new purple while trying
to cure malaria. A mouth full, but the story
unfolds smoothly and engages the reader
completely! Such a delight.
December 31, 2021
Informational. Interesting. Inspiring.
I love picture books that are also nonfiction! This one will excite your chemist fans & creative learners! It's a bit long, so maybe best for grades 3 and up.
I love picture books that are also nonfiction! This one will excite your chemist fans & creative learners! It's a bit long, so maybe best for grades 3 and up.
November 20, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up
December 10, 2020
I loved thiiiiiiis. I wish the last few pages went into more detail about how Perkins influenced medicine, but the author's note covers it with more detail. 4.5!
Read
December 11, 2020Is anyone else bothered that the shade in the printed book is more pink?
December 12, 2020
Interesting biography!
December 28, 2020
As a fan of purple, I enjoyed learning the history behind the dye. The illustrations were also fantastic.
Read
January 10, 2021Learn about the creation (and creator) of synthetic purple, used to make that vibrant, often-royally-associated, brilliant shade.
January 19, 2021
Surprisingly fascinating.
March 19, 2021
This was a book I chose to consider using for our summer reading program. I loved this book! It's really fascinating as it goes into the history of dyes and dying, but it also talks about experimentation and the scientific method. The art is absolutely beautiful too! This book is perfect for anyone wanting to apply a little STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) or STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) into their child's personal library or classroom library. Of all the books I've read so far, this one made me the most excited about summer reading program this year, and I can't wait to find a way to implement it with my reading group.
January 26, 2022
As someone who loves the color purple, I found this book to be fascinating.
The thing I loved about this book was Henry Perkin's "failure". While he may have failed at the experiment he was trying, he succeeded in ways he never even dreamed of. He made the color purple accessible to everyone - not just the rich and powerful. And he systematically tested his hypothesis in a way that was brand new to the scientific community - allowing others to reproduce his experiments and get the same results.
The thing I loved about this book was Henry Perkin's "failure". While he may have failed at the experiment he was trying, he succeeded in ways he never even dreamed of. He made the color purple accessible to everyone - not just the rich and powerful. And he systematically tested his hypothesis in a way that was brand new to the scientific community - allowing others to reproduce his experiments and get the same results.
March 5, 2021
Despite this being a science picture book biography - normally right up my alley - I didn’t love this. The introduction felt disconnected from the story of Perkins, and I think there were too many scientific steps presented with chemical names that won’t mean much to kids. I also cringe at anything that talks about “the scientific method” s that isn’t something we use in science education anymore.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews