Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention

by Barb Rosenstock

A National Science Teachers Association, Best STEM Book

Here is the story of Ben Franklin's first invention, his journey through the scientific method, and the surprising successes that result when you're willing to make mistakes.

Every inventor has to start somewhere, and one of the greatest innovators in our history was no exception. Ben Franklin developed his first invention while doing what he loved best: swimming!  Barb Rosenstock's rhythmic, whimsical style is the perfect complement to S. D. Schindler's pen and ink and watercolor illustrations. Together they recreate history in an engaging and unique way. Both author and illustrator worked closely with Franklin experts, and the book includes Franklin quotes, an extensive author's note, timeline, and bibliography.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Science, History, Childrens, Historical

32 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2021

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of his First Invention tells the story of how he attempted to invent swimming paddles for hands and feet as a child growing up in Philadelphia.

It begins with the story of how he loved swimming, which was unusual for that time period. Observing the fish around him he thinks about how to make swimming faster and easier, and finally his eureka moment- swim paddles! The story ends with his semi successful invention but also his determination to keep trying.

I don't know if we need another picture book about Ben Franklin, but this is a fun book to look at and read. The illustrator, S. D. Schindler, uses finely detailed watercolor and ink illustrations to give the book a whimsical and light-hearted feel while still keeping true to the styles of the day. She even depicts Ben as being left-handed, which he was in real life!

Different fonts, sizes and colors are used in laying out the pages which helps keep the reader’s interest. The author, Barb Rosenstock is playful with words and alliterative verbs making this a great read aloud. She even throws in some modern slang - “Ta-da!”

The emphasis here seems to be on Ben using the scientific method to solve everyday problems. This ties in big time with the emphasis on STEM related topics in schools. I like the fact that Ben is not successful with his swim apparatus, but “he wouldn’t stop seeking, studying and struggling until he succeeded.” Great inspiration for kids to not give up on something if at first they don’t succeed.

I don’t like the subtitle that this is “the mostly true” story of Ben’s first invention, so I appreciate the author’s note at the end of the book explaining what was fact and what was imagined on her part. I think it’s important to make that distinction with young children who are learning the difference between fiction and nonfiction.

There is also a time line of Franklin’s life in the back of the book, sources and source notes. Best for grades 3 and up.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Franklin grew up the son of a soap maker and loved to spend his free time on summer days swimming in the river near his home. In the time of his childhood, people just did not swim or wash regularly because they thought it would make you sick, so Ben was considered rather odd for the amount of time he spent in the water. As he swam, Ben started to wonder why it was that fish swim so much better than he could. And so Ben starts to come up with inventions that would help him swim like a fish. First, he made swim fins for his hands out of wood and they did make him much faster, but they also made his wrists sore and tired. The next invention was swim sandals, but they didn’t improve things much since they slid off his feet. But Ben was not a quitter and so he took each defeat as a way to improve his idea. After all, he was a scientist through and through.

Rosenstock sets just the right playful and rather silly tone with this biographical picture book. She includes plenty of details about the society in the 1700s and how it was different from our modern one. Using different fonts and repeating words, she also emphasizes the importance of trial and error in science and solving problems. She also ties in the fact that this is how science works and how scientists learn things, along with a healthy dose of dedication and resolve.

The illustrations by Schindler are marvelous, cleverly covering up the more private parts of the naked swimming boy with splashes and waves. They have a light-hearted quality to them and also a visual lightness that makes the book even funnier as they swim across the page.

A book to inspire children to try to solve problems they discover, this is a fresh and summery look at a boy genius at play. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized, biographical picture book about the first invention of Benjamin Franklin. The story shows Ben as a youth who enjoyed swimming. His first invention was swim fins and sandals. Though they didn't work as well as he thought they would, he "simply thought he'd made a mistake -- and wouldn't stop seeking, studying and struggling until he SUCCEEDED."

The pen and ink watercolor illustrations fix nicely with 1700s in which Franklin lived. Ben was the sixth son of a soap maker who enjoyed swimming (unusual in the 1700s) in the summer time. Using what would later become known as the scientific method, Ben applied it to solving life questions, which lead to his inventions. The author provides a picture depiction of Franklin's inventions and accomplishments, as well as a written timeline of Benjamin Franklin's life. There is a list of sources listed on the last page, including also source notes. This would be a good book for a biography unit and an inventors unit. It might also work for an English language unit on verbs starting with the letter "s."

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively text and humorous comments make this exploration of the early years of Ben Franklin sparkle. Many young readers just might draw inspiration from Franklin's example as he fashions wooden fins for his hands and feet to help him swim better. The author imagines that he used fish as the models for his very first invention. I liked the enticing action verbs and participles that the author uses to describe Ben's approach to water--and to life--and how his imagination seemed undiminished when things didn't go as he expected. The ink and watercolor illustrations are a bit splashy, and fit the story quite well. Back matter includes examples of some of Ben's later inventions. This picture book fits well with a collection devoted to inventions or others focusing on the great man himself. Today's readers will be surprised to learn that swimming was something that few men, women, and children did back in Ben's time.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes. Ben Franklin. Swimming naked. Inventing Swim Fins well kind of. Always been a Franklin fan. And in my kid's biography of him I remember him swimming naked and being pulled by a kite. But I don't remember swim fins. A great fun book. And a great take on one of my most favorite historical figures.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Franklin's Big Splash is fictionalized telling of one his first invention - swim fins and swim sandals. When he swam in the local river (Boston's Charles River), he observed the fish and the way they moved in the water. Ben wondered if he could create something that would help him move as fast as fish.

I listened to Ben Franklin's Big Splash while paging through the printed version of the story. The pacing was done very well. There are no page cues, but pauses between pages so readers can turn at the appropriate time. This story can be enjoyed with our without the picture biography book.

Barb Rosenstock wrote an active story while highlighting "s" words. I counted over 50 "s" words in the first ten pages of the book. Narrator Susie Berneis read the abundance of "s" words very well. She didn't over or under pronounce any of them just read them smoothly as the story progressed. It sounded like a story, not a tongue twister with "s" vocabulary. Well done!

Music and sound effects were added to this audiobook edition. The sound effects chosen fit the pictures of the story. They were subtle and added to the story, rather than took away from it. I really enjoyed the opening and closing music, which they also used again during the high points of the story - the inventions! The music selected was comprised of musical instruments and a tune that could have been heard during Franklin's life time. It sounded very colonial with drums and fifes. I think it would have been fun to add some glass armonica music to the story, but drums and fifes fit much better. And I am unsure if anyone would recognize the sound of an armonica. I just "discovered" the armonica last month and it has a very unique sound that could be perceived as eerie or ear-piercing rather than historical to listeners.

This book could be shared at any time of the year, but it could be highlighted during a unit on Colonial America, Inventors, or Swimming and Water. I think the target age is elementary students, but anyone with an interest in Ben Franklin would also enjoy this glimpse into Franklin's youth.

The audiobook solely features the story and two quotes of Franklin, but the picture book also shares a timeline, some of Franklin's inventions, and an author's note. Out of all the extras, the author's note would have been a nice addition to the audiobook. Rosenstock shares more about Ben Franklin and his swimming in her note to the readers.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, Dreamscape Media, LLC!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fictionalized account of Franklin's first invention, based on a letter written by Franklin 50 years or more after the event took place. The author includes the relevant part of the letter in the after matter. It is a description enlarging the brief mention by Franklin of the invention of swim fins. One of the big points being made was that Franklin was not satisfied with the invention, not that he considered it a failure. He just kept at it until it was successful. The scientific method is shown by example here. The author includes a time line, and a list of achievements and major inventions. Nonetheless, I have to agree with this being classed as a picture book, not as nonfiction. There are simply not enough facts in the story for it to go nonfiction. There is, however, a lot of ways this book can be used in a classroom. It can be used as an example of the scientific method in action. It can be used as an introduction to American History, or as an introduction to a biography of Franklin. It can be used as an introduction to the way words can be used to decorate and enlarge the story being told. It can be used as a way to teach grammar. Or even as an advanced text on vocabulary and lead into some exercises for kids on picking out similar verbs that can be used in telling a story beginning with the same letter. Or it can be used as a story in story time.

[Kayla Pleasants · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book while looking for engaging biographies to read aloud during our third grade biography unit, and this one fits the description. Ben Franklin's Big Splash is a great picture book and read aloud for students 2nd grade and up. It goes through the story of Ben Franklin before he was a well known inventor. It takes the reader into the life of Ben as a young boy and introduces him as a questioner of life (isn't every good inventor?) The question that really started his first invention was "how could he help himself swim like a fish?" This book does a great job of taking a famous inventor and making his life real world for a younger student while also taking the student through the engineering process. In the end, this book doesn't end with a monumental invention, which is what I love about it. Ben isn't ashamed of his failure, a lesson our kids can learn and apply in our classrooms. The text is accompanied by a timeline of his life so students can see that this "failure" is just one piece of his story. It is a great read aloud to add to a biography unit, engineering unit, or a series on grit and perseverance.

[Oak Lawn Public Library - Youth Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Ben Franklin’s Big Splash
Author: Barb Rosenstock
Lexile Level: 1070L
Pages: 32
Recommendations & Comments: This is a cute picture book that has some great non-fiction information including a detailed timeline. Hopefully the message of being yourself will resonate with readers. It’s a fun book that shares a story of a famous person when they were a kid.
Stars: 4 out of 5
Reviewed By: Emily K.

Title: Ben Franklin’s Big Splash
Author: Barb Rosenstock
Pages: 32
Lexile level: 1070
__5_ out of 5 stars

Recommendations & Comments: I enjoyed everything about this book – the detailed illustrations, the writing, and the story-telling. The author takes the reader through the step by step thought process as to how Franklin came up with his first invention (still in use today!) and then carefully modified it through trial and error. In addition, author Rosenstock shows young Ben’s courage and determination to succeed during a time when others did not recognize the value of his ideas, making Ben Franklin’s Big Splash both informative and inspiring.
Reviewed By: Roger Burns

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and thought the message that kids can invent things is great, but I felt that it did not really introduce Benjamin Franklin to the kids before they began the story. Certainly, the end had a timeline of Benjamin Franklin's life, but that did not bring him to life or express his importance. A minor quibble but enough for me to down grade the book from 4 stars.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this little gem in our collection while looking for a good book to discuss growth mindset and the power of YET with upper elementary students. This is a short, fun look into a lesser-known piece of Franklin's life, based on a letter that he wrote as an adult. The alliteration is fun to read, and the illustrations make the kids giggle (because he's swimming and mostly naked, though water always covers the most sensitive parts, lol.) The author's note and timeline at the back add some substance to the fun, and the quote on the back cover ("Let the experiment be made") will be our motto of sorts when we begin some Makerspace activities next week.

[Severin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about the amazing ben Franklin and how he invented swim finsmmm

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is an interesting new take on Benjamin Franklin's life and work, it is not one of Barbara's best biographies. The word choice and sensory details are very deliberate and the typography and layout are meant to emphasize the text. These are not choices I would have made. Thorough backmatter and charming illustrations.

[Susan Brown]

Opening
Today we are going to read one last book on inventions. This one is called Ben Franklin’s Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of his First Invention. You might have heard about the main character—Benjamin Franklin. Who can tell me why he’s important? He helped the United States become independent from England and was a famous scientist. So, do you think this book takes place in our time? No, it’s from a long time ago. Let’s look at the cover page. How old do you think Benjamin Franklin is in this drawing? He’s still a kid, maybe a little older than you. This book is a mix between fiction (make-believe) and non-fiction (true story). The author used a real person and something that really happened, but made up the details about it. Let’s get started and see what Ben Franklin was up to when he was a boy.

Opening Moves
* Provide background information.
* Draw attention to the genre (or in this case the hybrid of two genres).
* Foreshadow the problem of the story.

Rationale
Although about an invention, this book is different enough from the others to keep students interested. The author includes historic information on an important American figure. Also, Franklin was not entirely successful with his invention. The story of his early tinkering shows how he came to be a great scientist.

[Monique Isaak · Rating 4 out of 5]

While doing what he loved most, Ben Franklin discovered his first invention. Ben Franklin had a love for swimming. Aside from many others, he enjoyed spending time in the water. Overtime, he became curious and wondered why fish could swim faster than humans. He created swim fins for his hands and sandals for his feet that allowed him to swim more quickly. The author creates a text that stands out. In the story, the author uses several different words beginning with the letter S. This is a great technique to use because it allows students to widen their vocabulary by focusing on one letter at a time. Ben Franklin was a scientist and through the story, readers are able to learn about trial and error through the process of solving scientific problems. This book would be a great example for students before conducting a scientific experiment. Students could learn from Ben Franklin that our ideas do not always work, but we must never give up and work to solve the problem.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story as a memoir of one part of Ben Franklin's life that might not be very well known. Sometimes with historical figures, we think of them just in terms of their adulthood or what made them famous and forget that they were just people like the rest of us. I think for many students some of these historical figures can be very difficult to relate to and a story like this makes Ben Franklin accessible and then other information about him becomes more interesting. I also loved the alliteration and word play in this story and want to use it as a model text for figurative language in my classroom. Finally, the infographic, time line, author's note, and bibliography are great for teaching so many different things that this book should be one in school libraries or classroom libraries to uese.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book 3.5 stars. I found it to be a fascinating story about the young Ben Franklin who began inventing from a very early age. As far as anyone knows, the first items he invented were these wooden plank-like devices that he could attach to his hands and feet to make him move more quickly through water. It is not known, but likely, that fast moving fish in Boston's Charles River were the inspiration for these ideas. Though Leonardo Da Vinci and Giovanni Borelli had drawn swim fin designs hundreds of years beforehand, no one knows if any of those designs were actually built. As far as anyone is aware, Ben Franklin's swim fins were the first made and tested out in a body of water. A great book to kick off a STEAM activity as it involves thinking creatively about solutions to problems.

[Taylor Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright: 2014
Number of pages: 32
Book format: print
Reading level: 1-5; GR level T
Genre: fiction
Lit requirement: Monarch Award nominee 2018

In Ben Franklin's Big Splash, written by Barb Rosenstock, we are introduced to a young Ben Franklin before he was known for being a great inventor. Ben enjoys swimming in the river, but everyone thought he was crazy. He did not pay any mind to anyone, but he soon started to question why can the fish swim so easily and fast. This is when he came up with his first invention.

This story was entertaining, and then pictures were very detailed showing what life was like back during that time period. The book also gave true facts and a timeline at the end of the book, so it could be used for educational purposes. I can see myself using it in the future if I were to ever teach about influential colonists.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The extended title of this book says "The mostly true story of his first invention", so I guess this isn't exactly non-fiction, but there is also extra back matter about Benjamin Franklin's life, including a timeline, and it is based on a true story. The story focuses on one invention mentioned and that is swim fins. Ben Franklin loved to swim, and even growing up, he was always asking "what if", and what is written as his first invention is "swim fins." The story integrates some other bits of history, like the fact Ben is looked upon as strange because he swims a lot. During the Revolutionary War era, the book tells us that most people, even sailors, did not know how to swim. It's a fun book that can introduce young children to this famous man.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know that Ben Franklin invented many things and was an instrumental part of our country's history. This picture book biography covers Franklin's very first invention as a boy. Franklin loved to swim even though people at that time generally didn't. He invented swim paddles and sandals to make swimming easier and more fish-like. While the invention wasn't successful it did illustrate the use of the scientific method.

The information on this invention was taken from a letter Franklin wrote 50 years later. The author fleshed out the story with his own details and some wonderful illustrations. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor in this book that I really enjoyed. There is also good back matter.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that defy traditional nonfiction, so I'm calling it creative/literary nonfiction. It's the "mostly true story" of Ben Franklin's attempt at inventing swimming apparatus. The swim fins and sandals never quite worked, but instead of calling them failures, he just wasn't satisfied, so he kept trying. Thus, he became a scientist and inventor. This is a great message to convey to kids - seek, study, struggle, success! I thought it was interesting that swimming wasn't popular colonial times. I also loved the word play with alliteration - lots of vivid verbs starting with "s."

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read aloud in the primary and even intermediate grades or a book for partner reading and discussion of main ideas like "How does this book reveal Franklin's curiosity about the world?" and "How does Franklin's method for perfecting an invention relate to scientific processes we've studied in class?"

Also, Rosenstock's author's note reveals how she used a specific primary source--a letter Franklin wrote to a fellow scientist in 1773 and other information available about Franklin-to imagine this story. This could serve as a launch pad for students' interpretation of primary sources and writing of their own biographically-based narrative about a historical figure.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story focuses on Ben Franklin's first experiment "swim fins." Told with a bit of imaginative artistic license, Ben's love of swimming ignites his curiosity. While swimming he notices how much faster fish swim, than he can. Through the proper steps of scientific inquiry he questions how humans can swim like fish. He keeps testing new equipment he designs until he makes his first discovery "swim fins." Told with lots of alliteration and humor, students soon learn that Ben never gave up on an idea until he solved his question. In this case it launched his career as a scientist and inventor. Lovely watercolor illustrations and a simple beautifully told story, make this a fine read aloud.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about how one of Ben Franklin's favorite activities (swimming) inspired him to invent swim paddles. The use of the scientific method is well illustrated here. The story about Ben Franklin is interesting, but his approach to a perceived problem is the real heart of this story.

Ink and watercolor illustrations support the text very well. The emphasis of certain words in the text both in size and color was distracting, but the story itself reads well.

Nice read aloud for introducing the scientific method or a unit on inventors for grades 3-5+.

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story--I had never heard of this episode from Ben Franklin's life. The language play is fun, though I resisted the constant "s" alliteration. Finally I just gave in and went with it. I'm still not sure quite how I feel about it (even though I'm an alliteration fan when it comes to poetry), but I bet it's really fun to read aloud to kids.

The CIP info was incomplete, so I'm not sure if this is categorized as literature or nonfiction--I assume literature. I appreciated the Author's Note explaining what was fact and what was imagined.

[Christine Turner]

Subject:
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790-Juvenile fiction.
Inventors -- Juvenile fiction.
Inventions -- Juvenile fiction.
Swimming -- Juvenile fiction.
Biographical fiction

Ben Franklin loved to swim and, at the age of eleven, he was determined to swim like a fish--fins and all! This fascinating and lively account of young Ben's earliest invention follows the budding scientist's journey as he tests and retests his swim fins. That first big splash led Ben to even more innovations and inventions. Includes Franklin quotes, a timeline, bibliography, and source notes.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this picture book bio of a young Ben Franklin, Rosenstock focuses on what is probably Franklin's first invention attempt: fins for swimming. Becoming envious of the ability of fish to swim faster than him young Franklin studies what makes them different, eventually coming up with the idea of paddles for both hands and feet. They don't work all that well but it gives him a taste of invention as a problem solving technique.

Fun letter s verb alliteration will tickle kids ears as they listen along to Ben's antics.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A glimpse at young Ben Franklin, as he pondered, wondered, imagined, and dreamed of ways to make life better and easier. As many kids do, he used his carefree days and filled them with swimming and playing...yet, all the while he was thinking, thinking, planning, and dreaming of inventive ways to add joy.

Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention hopefully will have kids thinking of their own big first invention...and find a way to make it come true.

Includes Author's Note, Timeline, Sources, Source Notes, and Acknowledgements.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story Of His First Invention (Calkins Creek, September 1, 2014) written by Barb Rosenstock with illustrations by S. D. Schindler introduces readers to something I'll bet they never knew about this man. His creativity lead to making swimming on and under water more like fish for all of us.

My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's one thing there's a lot of, it's Ben Franklin biographies. Still, this one is kind of different and special. In fact, I really enjoyed it. It focuses on his childhood and his early experimentation in swimming gear. His interest in swimming is an obscure facet of his life for most people, so this one is interesting for bringing out something new. I am a fan. That much is certain. Would probably be readable for fourth grade and up. Good read.