Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis

The summary was convincing and interesting. There was much excitement filling the air after each passenger was filled with wonder. However it did not collapse and it was a huge hit impressing all who came to see it. He also struggled with money as well and worked to fund raise. He struggled to make it in time and feared it would not work and collapse. The United States of America wanted to impress the rest of the world so they hired George Ferris with only 10 months to complete the Ferris wheel.

Ferris was an established engineer that had built many buildings and bridges but he wanted to do something amazing so he entered the contest to make something for the 1893 World Fair. The biggest attraction at the last world fair was the Eiffel Tower built in France and was the world’s tallest building at the time.

Ferris and His Wheel tells the story of George Ferris who in 1893 built the world’s first Ferris wheel for the world fair in Chicago.

I bet you will learn something new too! Read more Ferris and His Wheel is a great book for people who like to learn about history in an interesting way or for people who like a good ride. After we finished I had to look up what the cars looked like, since I couldn’t imagine how big they were. Once the fair was over it was even taken down and put up at other locations! Wow! I was amazed at how fun it was to learn about history from this delightful picture book. I would have been so scared! I loved learning about how the invention came together was surprised to hear about the large glass cars. The story really makes you feel the anticipation when Ferris and his wife take the first ride. There was intense pressure for everyone working on the project and they also had to deal with frozen ground and Chicago weather. The fair was only a handful of months away when the committee decided to give the go ahead to Ferris. When George Ferris, an engineer, brought his proposal to the board they weren’t sure because they thought it was too big and that it wouldn’t work. None of the ideas were new and exciting enough for the committee. The World’s Fair was coming to Chicago in 1893, so the search was on for the design that would top the Eiffel Tower, the standout of the last fair. How many of us have ridden a Ferris Wheel at some point in our lives? I have to say I was intrigued by her pick and curious to learn how the first one came to be. This is the inspiring picture book biography of George Ferris and how he came to build a structure that defied gravity and became a staple at fairs, carnivals, and amusement parks.

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis