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The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth
An inspiring true story of a boy genius.
Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to "make pictures fly through the air." This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author's afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo's invention of television was years before RCA's.
Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to "make pictures fly through the air." This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author's afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo's invention of television was years before RCA's.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
October 10, 2021
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth is a children's picture book written by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Greg Couch. This entertaining book explores the life of inventor Philo Farnsworth, who discovered how to transmit images electronically, leading to the first television.
Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), the image dissector, as well as the first fully functional and complete all-electronic television system.
Krull's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Krull's substantial, captivating text tells the story of this relatively unknown inventor in forthright and simple text. She weaves together scientific explanations with boyish details of a young lad growing up. Backmatter includes a detailed author's note, which explains how the Radio Corporation of America challenged and subsequently disregarded Philo's patent, thrusting him into obscurity. Couch's warm, mixed-media illustrations balances the text. His muted tones suggest the grainy light of early television screens and bring home the message about curiosity and perseverance.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Farnsworth's early days are spent studying science magazines and dreaming about the applications of electricity. Later, Farnsworth persuades investors to fund his efforts, which, with the assistance of his wife, Pem, result in the first, primitive electronic television in 1927.
All in all, The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth is an inspiring biography about the inventor of the most popular home furniture, but is relatively unknown.
Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), the image dissector, as well as the first fully functional and complete all-electronic television system.
Krull's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Krull's substantial, captivating text tells the story of this relatively unknown inventor in forthright and simple text. She weaves together scientific explanations with boyish details of a young lad growing up. Backmatter includes a detailed author's note, which explains how the Radio Corporation of America challenged and subsequently disregarded Philo's patent, thrusting him into obscurity. Couch's warm, mixed-media illustrations balances the text. His muted tones suggest the grainy light of early television screens and bring home the message about curiosity and perseverance.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Farnsworth's early days are spent studying science magazines and dreaming about the applications of electricity. Later, Farnsworth persuades investors to fund his efforts, which, with the assistance of his wife, Pem, result in the first, primitive electronic television in 1927.
All in all, The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth is an inspiring biography about the inventor of the most popular home furniture, but is relatively unknown.
October 30, 2020
Loved this, but then I'm partial to books that show young people can do remarkable things. Fascinating story! I don't think I'd ever heard of Farnsworth (RCA is widely known for debuting the TV in 1939 at the World's Fair) I'm glad he is now getting recognition he deserves for inventing the television when he was a teenager. The story here is well-told and primarily positive and celebratory so it's great to share with young people and especially those interested in inventing. I would aim it for the upper-elementary set as it's definitely on the lengthier side and has some complicated concepts, but my budding engineer (7 years old) was very attentive.
The Author's Note goes into some of the less cheery aspects, such as how Farnsworth didn't want to relinquish control to RCA so he passed over their offer of payment for his idea... then later RCA claimed their own employee invented the television and took the fame. Also, Farnsworth became quite bitter about the very thing he had helped create... in his later years, he rarely watched TV and didn't let his children watch television. He had dreamed that television would be a way to unite people, communities and nations and be a medium of educationa and, perhaps, even of world peace. He felt it had been misused. "Too many cowboy movies," he said. Fortunately, he lived long enough to see the Moon Landing broadcast and felt that TV was finally becoming the worthwhile tool he had dreamed it would be. Despite his issues with the television, he never stopped getting brainstorms or trying to help people, he received 150 patents and worked on ways to control deadly viruses, safely dispose of waste, and find cheap sources of power.
The back matter also contains a list of Sources (books, websites and television) and denotes which books are most suitable for young readers.
The illustrations are wonderful and I love the inclusion of pages from antique Sears, Roebuck catalogs and Popular Science magazines into the illustrations.
Highly recommended!
The Author's Note goes into some of the less cheery aspects, such as how Farnsworth didn't want to relinquish control to RCA so he passed over their offer of payment for his idea... then later RCA claimed their own employee invented the television and took the fame. Also, Farnsworth became quite bitter about the very thing he had helped create... in his later years, he rarely watched TV and didn't let his children watch television. He had dreamed that television would be a way to unite people, communities and nations and be a medium of educationa and, perhaps, even of world peace. He felt it had been misused. "Too many cowboy movies," he said. Fortunately, he lived long enough to see the Moon Landing broadcast and felt that TV was finally becoming the worthwhile tool he had dreamed it would be. Despite his issues with the television, he never stopped getting brainstorms or trying to help people, he received 150 patents and worked on ways to control deadly viruses, safely dispose of waste, and find cheap sources of power.
The back matter also contains a list of Sources (books, websites and television) and denotes which books are most suitable for young readers.
The illustrations are wonderful and I love the inclusion of pages from antique Sears, Roebuck catalogs and Popular Science magazines into the illustrations.
Highly recommended!
May 2, 2016
The book itself is mostly good, but the author's note seems to be lacking some pertinent details. It states that "RCA simply disregarded the [1934] ruling and debuted TV in 1939" without noting that RCA paid Farnsworth one million dollars over ten years, plus license payments for the use of his patents. That's quite a different story, one that doesn't simply cast the underdog kid against the big bad corporation that "simply disregarded" a U.S. Patent Office ruling. The note states, "By 1949 one million sets had been sold, mostly by RCA" and it could have added, "and Farnsworth made money on every one of RCA's sales."
October 26, 2015
So I might have a slight affinity for trail-blazing thinkers and inventors.... My latest selection is about Philo Farnsworth, the teenager who came up with the idea for television. He was a brilliant scientific mind, sadly erased from history by RCA until recently. The pictures in the book are a bit dark and fuzzy for my tastes, but the text is fascinating enough to move the story forward from Philo's beginnings on a Utah farm to his amazing first television broadcast.
April 15, 2011
Fascinating story of how the curiosity of Philo Farnsworth led him to solve the problem of transmitting pictures through the air and inventing the TV. Interestingly enough, the solution occurred to him while plowing a potato field and looking back at the parallel furrows. He realized images could be broken down into rows of light, transmitted as electrons, and then reassembled for viewers as the picture on the television. All this while when he was only 14 years old!
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August 21, 2016I thought this was captivating - my listener fell asleep.
November 17, 2025
The Boy Who Invented TV tells the true story of Philo Farnsworth, a curious farm boy who grew up to invent the first version of television. The book describes how Philo loved science, electricity, and figuring out how things worked. The illustrations show his ideas, his experiments, and the challenges he faced while trying to bring his invention to life. I chose this book because it teaches students about creativity, problem-solving, and how inventions can change the world. The story also inspires young readers to follow their interests and dream big.
A good activity for this book would be a “Design Your Own Invention” project for 3rd–5th grade students. After reading the story, students would create their own invention that solves a real problem, just like Philo did. They could draw their invention, label its parts, and write a few sentences explaining what it does and how it helps people. This activity supports creativity, and writing skills. It also helps students understand how inventors use imagination and persistence to make new ideas come alive.
A good activity for this book would be a “Design Your Own Invention” project for 3rd–5th grade students. After reading the story, students would create their own invention that solves a real problem, just like Philo did. They could draw their invention, label its parts, and write a few sentences explaining what it does and how it helps people. This activity supports creativity, and writing skills. It also helps students understand how inventors use imagination and persistence to make new ideas come alive.
April 26, 2021
This nonfiction children’s book follows the story of Philo Farnsworth. Philo, a 14 year old boy from Idaho, discovers a love of science, technology and engineering. Amazed by the radio, Philo hears scientists are working on creating moving pictures, known as television. When he suddenly springs an idea on how one could be built, he works day and night on his idea eventually creating one of the most important inventions of the time.
I think this would be a great book for students doing a research project on the history of technology. I also think this could be used for students to help in creating a timeline of technology.
This was a WOW book for me because I had never heard of Philo Farnsworth or his story. Throughout the story you can see how Philo’s mind works and his thinking process as he works on his invention. Reading about how intelligent he was and how much impact he has had on technology is exciting and such a good read.
I think this would be a great book for students doing a research project on the history of technology. I also think this could be used for students to help in creating a timeline of technology.
This was a WOW book for me because I had never heard of Philo Farnsworth or his story. Throughout the story you can see how Philo’s mind works and his thinking process as he works on his invention. Reading about how intelligent he was and how much impact he has had on technology is exciting and such a good read.
May 22, 2018
An inspiring true story of a boy genius. Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to "make pictures fly through the air." This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author's afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo's invention of television was years before RCA's.
Interesting - Read the Author's note at the end for further details.
Benchmark compatible, technology
Interesting - Read the Author's note at the end for further details.
Benchmark compatible, technology
December 7, 2021
Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to "make pictures fly through the air." This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world's first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author's afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo's invention of television was years before RCA's.
April 24, 2025
Huh... I'd never connected the dots before, but the Theory of Relativity was defined well before we had television. Physics is amazing; for one reason, it doesn't need a lot of technology to do some of the observations and investigations that support its development.
Anyway, this is another good bio by Krull. She does well whether writing for a picture-book or a full-length book. Author's note reveals the sad side of the story - Phil did not credit for his invention (RCA basically stole it), and he lived long enough to see that it did not help bring people together for the greater good, as he'd envisioned.
Anyway, this is another good bio by Krull. She does well whether writing for a picture-book or a full-length book. Author's note reveals the sad side of the story - Phil did not credit for his invention (RCA basically stole it), and he lived long enough to see that it did not help bring people together for the greater good, as he'd envisioned.
December 4, 2017
What an interesting story! We never really think about all the science and mathematics behind things that we use everyday, but this book describes a boy who loved science, and set out to invent something revolutionary. A little boy named Philo had always been interested in science, and loved reading about it, and learning how things work. When he heard that scientists were trying to invent something called "television," he decided he was going to beat them to it. This book is very informative, and would be a good read-aloud for ages 6-9, as it has some challenging vocablary.
February 10, 2019
"The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth" is a formulaic, yet still fun and informative biography. The story would be a great addition to any classroom library for two main reasons. The first is the formatting of the text. Each page is outlined in the format of a television screen. The story also begins with Philo's experiences as a child, and chronicles his life and journey to adulthood, and can be a great way to teach children the importance of goal setting and finding interests, as well as persevering to accomplish all that they can.
October 23, 2023
Genre: Biographical Nonfiction
Grade:2-3
I like how this book tells the story of Philo as if he were a character and not just a part of history. I like the illustrations and how they support the information given. I feel that the book gives a brief overview of his young life and does not give dates or much cite able information if a student were to try to use this for a research project. I think the story set up is a good way to keep the students engaged in the book but it would not be very fitting for research.
Grade:2-3
I like how this book tells the story of Philo as if he were a character and not just a part of history. I like the illustrations and how they support the information given. I feel that the book gives a brief overview of his young life and does not give dates or much cite able information if a student were to try to use this for a research project. I think the story set up is a good way to keep the students engaged in the book but it would not be very fitting for research.
April 17, 2018
I give this book a 4 star rating.
This book is about Philo who invented the tv. The story goes thru all his life story and how people have told him that he wouldn't be able to do it. He finds his spark in the machines that are around him and make the difference.
Three ways to use this book:
1. Learn the history of the television
2. Research about the impacts of tv
3. Write about a time that something that inspired you.
This book is about Philo who invented the tv. The story goes thru all his life story and how people have told him that he wouldn't be able to do it. He finds his spark in the machines that are around him and make the difference.
Three ways to use this book:
1. Learn the history of the television
2. Research about the impacts of tv
3. Write about a time that something that inspired you.
April 29, 2019
Great picture book about Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of the television (and also a cousin to my grandma!). Maybe it was cooler to me because I’m related to him, but I loved it. It was engaging and easy to follow. I always love a good story about someone who rises from humble beginnings to do something amazing that many people (or the whole world) are blessed by. I’d use this in a classroom when talking about inventors.
September 3, 2017
A fascinating story of how the TV came to be. Philo Farnsworth was a brilliant boy who followed his quest to create the first television. Unfortunately, he did not receive the credit he deserved for his work during his lifetime. A story that celebrates creativity, hard work and perseverance, masterfully told for the audience.
May 23, 2018
This is a nearly unbelievable true story of a young boy who solved the riddle of how to make television. The hardest part however, getting funding for and building his model, would be years of dedication, patents and unfortunately lawsuits. A fantastic non-fiction picture book that explains why Philo Farnsworth is not a household name even though he should be.
June 28, 2018
Interesting read.
***Spoiler****
Now 2 things mentioned make me more curious about this guy, and have me wondering if he was possibly a high-functioning autistic(losing a girlfriend because of an obsession and how he came up with the idea). Though that is not quite enough to go on, and the book is too short to get a better idea I think.
***Spoiler****
Now 2 things mentioned make me more curious about this guy, and have me wondering if he was possibly a high-functioning autistic(losing a girlfriend because of an obsession and how he came up with the idea). Though that is not quite enough to go on, and the book is too short to get a better idea I think.
May 6, 2019
I honestly never thought about who invented the first tv or who first created the television image, but I'm glad to know it's Philo Farnsworth! The illustrations match perfectly to the aesthetic of the writing, and I think it's a great read for Elementary level readers.
Reading Level:
LEXILE - 860L
ATOS - 5.5
Traits:
Ideas and Presentation
Reading Level:
LEXILE - 860L
ATOS - 5.5
Traits:
Ideas and Presentation
December 30, 2019
A children's book written for ages 8 to 12-year olds, the book explains the tenacity of a young boy raised on a farm with little access to education and the means for experimentation.
Nevertheless, he persisted and invented one of the most important devices in history.
Eye-opening and a bit sad, I did enjoy learning about this time in history and Philo Fransworth's place in it.
Nevertheless, he persisted and invented one of the most important devices in history.
Eye-opening and a bit sad, I did enjoy learning about this time in history and Philo Fransworth's place in it.
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February 13, 2020Philo Farnsworth was just a farm boy and one day he was plowing a potato field and saw the parallel rows in the field. He saw ways to create a television. He worked day and night. It took him 6 years to make it. He became very popular and well known after creating it.
This book would be a good book for people who like to read about history. It was a good and short book to read. The book was very easy to read. It was simple and kind of interesting. It is a Non-Fiction book.
This book would be a good book for people who like to read about history. It was a good and short book to read. The book was very easy to read. It was simple and kind of interesting. It is a Non-Fiction book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
Philo Farnsworth was curious from the very beginning. He asked many questions and at an early age showed his genius in electronics. Throughout his life he invented many things, including television, although he lost his patent. After his death his wife worked to be sure his name was credited for his accomplishments.
This true story is so well written and wonderfully illustrated.
This true story is so well written and wonderfully illustrated.
May 29, 2018
An interesting and unique biography on an interesting and unique man that I knew nothing about until reading this book. This book is a bit wordy for a read aloud with young students, but would be a great resource when discussing biographies.
May 30, 2018
Enjoyed finding this book at work today. I think the author would be appalled at the junk on TV these days, though the ability to watch and own and lend movies and documentaries at home from dad's or streaming might have appealed to his sense of sharing stories and info.
April 2, 2020
An elementary and up picture book biography of Philo Farnsworth a lifelong inventor who created the first working television but never got the credit he deserved. Nice focus on his wife and her support and help in making his dreams come true.
October 26, 2017
This was a great children's books that explained how TV was developed. Farnsworth's life was fascinating. I even think I began to understand a little bit about how the early televisions operated.
May 26, 2018
Waa zzf
October 22, 2018
Fascinating biography about a young genesis who never got credit for his life changing invention.
December 11, 2018
Philo was amazing! Each state gets to have 2 statues in the capitol in Washington DC. The state of Utah has statues of Brigham Young and Philo Farnsworth.
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