Awesome Minds

Erin Hagar is the author of Julia Child: An Extraordinary Life in Words and Pictures (duopress, 2015) and Doing Her Bit: A Story of the Woman's Land Army of America (Charlesbridge, 2016). After several years working in curriculum and instruction for colleges and universities, she earned her M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore and now lives in Baltimore with her husband, two children, and a few too many pets Paige Garrison has illustrated several books, including Roanoke Baby and One to Ten LA, as well as assisted with Beach Doodles and 100 Pablo Picassos. Before transitioning to children's books, Paige worked for Bento Box Entertainment on the animated TV shows Bob's Burgers and The Awesomes. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her loving husband and their silly pup.

"The story of Ole Kirk and the LEGO company origins hasn't ever been told with such charm and accessibility as this new book by duopress... The smart writing and wealth of information makes this a very charming book. I'm going to add this to the BrickNerd library. It's that good. I give it 5 out of 5 Nerdlys." --Tommy Williamson, LEGO(R) artist and founder of BrickNerd (bricknerd.com) "This book could be the building block for the next great toy inventor." --Ed Sobey, Ph.D., Founder of the National Toy Hall of Fame "Awesome Minds: The Inventors of LEGO(R) Toys is colorful and engaging, just like LEGO(R) bricks themselves. Over the course of 48 pages, the book deftly mixes words and a whole host of interesting visuals to tell the origin story of the Danish company behind the iconic toy. Knowing the backstory behind the toy makes you appreciate it in a whole new way." --Todd Coopee, author of Light Bulb Baking: A History of the Easy-Bake Oven and Toy Historian "The Inventors of LEGO(R) Toys is a must read for your child." --Bruce Pascal, author of Hot Wheels Prototypes "The Inventors of LEGO(R) Toys, tells the history of this toy in a wonderful way that children of all ages, and even the parents, will not want to put the book down." --Bruce Pascal, author of Hot Wheels Prototypes "LEGO(R) is a part of our everyday world--a huge part, for many families. In clear, accessible text and art, Erin Hagar and Paige Garrison show how the world got to be that way. Their book creates a terrific gateway through which LEGO(R)-loving kids can journey for a deeper appreciation of the family, company, and history behind their favorite toy." --Chris Barton, Author of Shark vs. Train and Whooosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions "Hagar and Garrison explain the Lego backstory to readers who can't envision a time before the interlocking bricks. The beloved toys were the brainchild of a Danish carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen, who developed the idea with the help of his son, Godtfred. Hagar describes Christiansen's early attempts to create a toy that would sell big; he even rode the wave of the yo-yo's popularity, which taught him, 'Don't worry about what's popular. Instead, make good toys that give kids new ways to play.' As the manufacturing of plastic expanded, Christiansen bought an injection-molding machine for his burgeoning toy company in 1947 and began making prototypes of the now-iconic plastic bricks. Hagar's conversational narration and an early reader-esque format, augmented by sidebars and Garrison's efficient cartooning, should make the book particularly appealing to newly independent readers--and Lego devotees, of course." --Publishers Weekly