Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan’s Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Written by Karyn Parsons
Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
For ages: 4-8
Our world is full of inventions we use every day but rarely think much about. The traffic light is a crucial technology that has helped save countless lives. It was invented by Black American Garrett Morgan, whose story is told in verse in this brand-new children’s book. Morgan was born to a farming family in 1870s Kentucky, where he seems to be underfoot while the adults and big kids do essential work. The young man’s strength comes in the form of mechanical genius, breaking down and rebuilding all sorts of devices to understand how they work. For example, after studying with a tutor, Morgan invents the zigzag stitch after breaking apart a sewing machine.
The Reading Circle 