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  • Published: 18 August 2016
  • ISBN: 9781101918432
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $16.99

Spic-and-Span!

Lillian Gilbreth's Wonder Kitchen




NOW IN PAPERBACK! The sixth book in Tundra's Great Idea Series, Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth's Wonder Kitchen introduces the amazing Lillian Gilbreth: industrial engineer, time management expert, inventor.

Born into a life of privilege in 1878, Lillian Moller Gilbreth put her pampered life aside for one of adventure and challenge. She and her husband, Frank, became efficiency experts by studying the actions of factory workers. They ran their home efficiently, too. When Frank suddenly died, Lillian was left to her own devices to raise their eleven children. Eventually, she was hired by the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company to improve kitchen design, which was only the beginning.
Lillian Gilbreth was the subject of two movies (Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes), the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and the first female psychologist to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psychologist, an author, a professor and an inventor.

  • Published: 18 August 2016
  • ISBN: 9781101918432
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $16.99

About the author

Monica Kulling

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. She is best known for her books for children. The daughter of philosopher and reformer Amons Bronson Alcott, she was also a supporter of women's rights and an abolitionist. Family debts led her to write the autobiographical novel LITTLE WOMEN (1868). The book was a huge success, followed by LITTLE MEN, AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL, and several other novels.

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Praise for Spic-and-Span!

PRAISE FOR Spic-and-Span:

"This engaging picture-book biography details the many accomplishments of Lillian Gilbreth ... Kulling deftly describes early twentieth-century social, physical, and technical conditions that presented challenges to productivity in both public and private settings, and she explains how Gilbreth's innovations improved conditions, creating context so that young readers can appreciate the extent of her contributions. Parkins' rich, cartoon-like illustrations provide clear period detail, and his characters' faces portray an extensive range of emotions, adding interest and emphasizing Gilbreth's primary commitment to her family." - Booklist

"In Spic-and-Span, Monica Kulling tells Gilbreth's life story with warmth and clarity, and David Parkins' illustrations underscore the wit and humanity of this picture book biograpy." - The Boston Globe

"Perfect for National Women's History Month, this fascinating biography reveals the real woman behind the family hijinks in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen.... We owe to Lillian many of today's kitchen inventions and comforts." - Washington Parent