One of the things I do, as I state in my sidebar over there, is manage the collection for my kids' school library. I buy the books. The school is opening a new school next year, and they've asked me to select all the books for the new school's library. It's a labor of love, believe me. It may sound like fun, spending $30 grand on kid books, but when you think about covering the entire span of human knowledge, for children aged 5 to 14, it's kind of brain-melty. Just when I think I have assembled a nice, even collection, I smack myself on the forehead and go, "I FORGOT ANCIENT CHINA!" or "CRAP! THE CIVIL WAR!"
There's also the problem of picking lots of nonfiction without relying too heavily on series books. Now, lots of fine authors write series books, and I'm not saying that all series suck... but it's a fact that all series should be scrutinized carefully before purchase. Publishers do not always put their best design teams on series books, for one thing. For another, the pictures on the cover may be, er, AWFUL.
AAAA!
Which is why, when possible, I will always snatch up stand-alone juvenile biographies instead of series biographies. I read 94 series biographies this winter for an assignment - and exactly 8 of them made me say, "Oooh!". (I will not count the number that made me go, "Aaack!") For example: there are 176 biographies of Ella Fitzgerald written for children, but I will pick the one by Andrea Davis Pinkney every time - because I believe that Andrea Davis Pinkney sat around and thought about Ella Fitzgerald while she wrote the book, that Brian Pinkney had some Ella playing in the studio while he did the paintings, that they put a little heart and soul into that book.
The Day-Glo Brothers is another of these books. Chris Barton's author's note reminds me of that scene in Working Girl when Melanie Griffith hauls out a Page Six clipping to explain just how she got the idea that the Big Investor might be interested in buying a radio station. Barton read Bob Switzer's 1997 New York Times obituary and realized that the story of Day-Glo paint was one that he wanted to tell.
You get the feeling that he had to explain that in some detail to the publisher when he proposed this, his first book. I would bet that Day-Glo, to most people, is just kind of an annoyance that we've learned to live with because it saves lives, and as long as we avoid Spencer Gifts, we don't have to deal with it much. Just saying: it might not seem like the most captivating subject at first blush.
And there we would be wrong. Not only is this biography chock-full of arresting details: a fluorescent angel food cake, a headless Balinese dancer, a flaming billboard, and a terrible accident involving a railcar full of ketchup, but also... oh come on, do I really have to finish this sentence? With facts like that, who needs skill?
But. If I had a checklist of Things To Look For In Kid Nonfiction (and I kind of do), every box would be checked (except for the "photo" box - I think kids always want an author photo and a subject photo, just to prove it's really nonfiction).
Barton sets the context swiftly, helps us distinguish Bob from Joe with a few easy-to-remember character illustrations, documents the process of discovery, provides lots of examples, and follows through on the applications of their inventions. As befits a mid-century success story, the illustrations are swingy and hep. The color palette is all black and white and grey at the beginning of the book, and as Bob and Joe embark upon their lurid journey, the colors get more and more intense - clever! Back matter and web content expand the science documentation, and Barton shares his own process of discovering the Switzer family story, in the above-mentioned author's note.
Of the things that I want the students at our school to take away from a book, this last may actually be the most important to me.
The Day-Glo Brothers is a real winner. Assignments for Chris Barton: the story of Mike Nesmith's mom, the lady who invented Liquid Paper; and the story of Hedy Lamarr - seriously? the screen siren who invented a torpedo guidance system? I want our new friend Chris to be the one to tell those stories.

Still in their teens in 1933, brothers Bob and Joe Switzer began experimenting with fluorescent colors and trying to create paints that would glow in the dark. Joe saw the potential for improving his magic show, while Bob, who was recovering from an industrial accident, hoped to make some money to pay his medical bills. After years of experimentation, they succeeded in creating paints that glowed in daylight as well as ultraviolet light. The book concludes with explanations of regular and daylight fluorescence as well as a note on the author’s original research for the book. In stylized, digital artwork with a retro feel, Persiani illustrates early scenes of the Switzers’ life in black, white, and shades of gray, then gradually introduces colors. The final double-page spreads are ablaze with Day-Glo yellow, green, and orange. Organizing his material well and writing with a sure sense of what will interest children, Barton creates a picture book that celebrates ingenuity and invention.

I think a lot of kids grow up thinking that great discoveries are intentional. People intended to walk on the moon. Edison intended to create a light bulb. Some bloke intended to find a way to can Spam. That’s why there’s a whole genre of non-fiction picture books out there dedicated to accidental discoveries. People like to tell kids that sometimes greatness is a mistake, not planned or earned. But I think there’s a third way of looking at this. What about the people who worked hard their whole lives, experimented and tested and mucked about, and then discovered something new and unexpected? These aren’t necessarily people who tripped over a genius idea and somehow ended up with a pocket full of cash. People like Bob and Joe Switzer discovered Day-Glo colors because they were curious, thoughtful, and willing to experiment. Now author Chris Barton brings us what is pretty much the world's first biography of the inventors of Day-Glo colors. And what better format to use than the picture book? Works for me.

Bob and Joe had dreams, you know. Big brother Bob wanted to someday become a doctor, while younger sib Joe had a fascination with magic. But Bob’s dream came to an abrupt halt when an accident in a railroad car gave him seizures and double vision. Stuck in a darkened basement, Bob was soon joined by Joe who thought this new thing called fluorescence could help his magic act. They set to experimenting, and over the years these experiments included testing chemicals. They excelled in creating glow-in-the-dark colors, but it wasn’t until a combination of dye and hot alcohol that they discovered the secret of Day-Glo. The result? Their colors helped America win WWII, then went on to bedeck everything from hula-hoops to Andy Warhol paintings. They dreamed big, they found something new, and they helped people out as a result. Not too shabby for two guys from Montana.

When the book you hold in your hands is all about the discovery of a certain kind of color, it’s very important to get the right design feel right from the start. Open this book. First off, the endpapers and the bookflaps play off of one another. At the front you have the orange on top of yellow, across from green. At the back you have yellow on top of green, across from orange. When the story really begins, though, you begin to understand why illustrator Tony Persiani was called in. An artist that exploits a kind of pseudo-retro style under normal circumstances anyway, Persiani’s look at the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s works because he can make a character both historically accurate in terms of the style, and appeasing to our contemporary eyes. Paging through his art, the colored sequences sometimes resemble nothing so much as stills from the Yogi Bear show. All curves and swoops.

Now the book is a series of grays at the beginning. This works nicely, particularly since the grays are shaded in different ways. It would have been awfully easy to just turn these pictures into black lines on white paper. But different shades and tones of gray mean that the story has a depth to it. It also means that Persiani can play around with the images. When we see Bob in his basement healing up, he is surrounded by ghosts of various ketchup bottles. They are the bottles present in the railroad car when the barricade Bob was on collapsed. Color, when it is introduced, is always a light fluorescent in some way. As a result, the book very gradually works in more and more color. In spite of your slow visual acceptance of this, when you actually see your first appearance of Day-Glo it’s shocking. And the second time when Bob and Joe rediscover it? Persiani has the wherewithal to turn that moment into its own undulating, high-octane, visually blinding two-page spread. The world’s first use of Day-Glo in a children’s picture book? Maybe not the first first, but certainly the most memorable.

Because Barton is relying on so many primary sources (old colleagues, family members, spouses, etc.) to get his story, he doesn’t have a long Bibliography to tie up the book at the end. That’s okay though, since in his Author’s Note he credits the people he spoke with as well as four other written sources. Of course, what this really means is that Barton has told a story in a picture book format that has never really ever been told before. I’m always fascinated by non-fiction authors of children’s books that do the research on a story that has been passed over by writers of adult informational texts. It seems strange to think that the story of Day-Glo colors has never been written, aside from the occasional obituary and self-published title. Credit to Barton where credit is due, then.

Between handling materials “detailing their earliest experiments” and reading the patents for daylight fluorescent signaling and display devices, we know that Mr. Barton did his homework. Did illustrator Tony Persiani? Hard to say. There is nothing to indicate whether or not Mr. Persiani modeled the characters of Bob and Joe on existing photographs and the like. I doubt that I would have wondered, except that there were moments of history, illustrated by his hand, that would have been interesting to know more about. For example, we are told that “A printer in Cleveland, Ohio, began using the Switzer boys’ fluorescent ink to make posters for movie theaters.” Accompanying this fact is a poster for something called The Lamps of China. As a fan of old time theater poster art, I would have liked to have known more about this poster, but as it stands it’s hard to say whether or not such a movie ever actually existed. What’s the solution, though? Would I really want an artist go footnoting his pictures in a picture book? Or take up valuable text space with his additional information? I have to be content in the belief that something as broad as a theater title would not have been conjured up for the sake of a book.

I harbor no such questions with Mr. Barton’s text. With its eye-popping colors, it’s sure to be a visual draw for young ‘uns. But will the writing be a draw as well? For some. I mean, when you get right down to it, this is a book about discovering all new COLORS. Who even does that? How do you even begin to try to convey the insanity of such an accomplishment? Creating shades never before seen by the human eye? Mind-blowing. But will a kid find such a story interesting? Some will. But I mean, let’s face it. Not every kid is a fan of non-fiction. For them, the passages outlining Bob and Joe’s New Year’s Day drive in 1936 or experiments with ultraviolet light will not enthrall. But there are some science-minded kids out there, and for them Day-Glo Brothers will make them think, and wonder, and dream.

Maybe part of what I like so much about this book is Barton’s conclusion. Because writing about a discovery is one thing. Writing about people is another. But when Barton notes that originally Bob wanted to be a doctor and originally Joe wanted to be a magician, he ends with a capper to end all cappers. “One brother wanted to save lives. The other brother wanted to dazzle crowds. With Day-Glo, they did both.” This is Chris Barton’s first work of non-fiction. With his extensive research skills and way with words, I hope that it is safe to say that it won’t be his last.

Several weeks ago, I received a box of books to review for the NCBLA. To my surprise, one book initially stood apart from all the others...The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob & Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand New Colors written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tony Persiani. When I first saw the cover, I immediately went back to my childhood days and remembered how excited I was to get anything fluorescent (i.e., crayons, black light posters, super balls, etc). With this in mind, off course I had to read this book first from my box of books.
Barton does a fantastic job taking the reader through the life and times of the Switzer brothers. He shares how these two brothers experimented and problem-solved to created fluorescent paint and how that paint has been used to enhance magic shows, theater costumes, Christmas displays, road signs, and more.
Persiani's retro illustrations are "highlighted" with various day-glo colors. Even the end pages use these electric colors to support this fun and informative book.
I definitely recommend this book.
Happy Reading,
Dr. Quinn

For the young inventors in our midst who had a great time dreaming up concoctions and contraptions with the May edition of our Book of Days, do we have a story for YOU! (and a chance to win something cool too!)
The Day Glo Brothers by Chris Barton is all about how two brothers, a magic show, and an accident at a ketchup factory gave the world some brand new colors and changed everything. It’s the true story of how things went all wrong just before they went so right… and really, what inventor doesn’t need to hear that he isn’t the only one who has to try try again?
The illustrations in this book are retro funk, dipped in Day Glo… guaranteed to suck any kid straight into the story.
But this isn’t just another pretty picture book. This is the real life story of two young men who rose above adversity, rolled with the punches and in the end managed to live out their dreams in some wholly unexpected ways. Better still, The Day Glo Brothers is nothing like the dry, you might be tested on this information, encyclopedic accounts of some old person’s contribution to society that are all too prevalent in kiddie lit. In fact after our first read through, my middle son, the inventor among us, said, “Wouldn’t it be so cool if something like that really happened?”
He was lit up like, well Day Glo, to hear that it really DID happen … real people really DID do something as cool as invent colors that glow right in their own basement! My science nut immediately set to work looking up photos of how Day Glo has been used.
Every single time he found a new use for Day Glo he’d squeal, “Whoa! Can you just imagine if something *I* invented ended up… (on someone’s socks, worn by policemen, landing planes?)” When’s the last time you read a biography that made you vibrate with excitement over YOUR own potential?
I’m told there’s a Day Glo illusion/art installation going up in his room, which sounds way cool, but I’m even more excited about the way that this book has made him rethink his ideas about inventors… they’re not always inaccessible brainiacs with walls of diplomas, sometimes they’re just real folks with a dream – real people who make mistakes, press on, and see it through – people who dream in Day Glo.
I recently had the chance to speak with the author of The Day Glo Brothers, Chris Barton, and it’s so plain that he loves his work and loves kids. Turns out this book was a labor of love 8 years in the making! When I asked him how it felt to finally have his book in his hands he said that he was MORE excited about having the story in the hands of young readers… and getting to finally meet those readers at his speaking engagements. “I’ve thought a lot about daylight fluorescence over the years and asked lots of questions — and I know that these kids and *their* questions are going to show me how much more there is to learn.”

You may not know their names, but you're familiar with their work. In 1938, Bob and Joe Switzer invented fluorescent paint-without which we might not have highlighters, traffic cones, or the cover of this magazine. Their enlightening story, as told by children's author Chris Barton (with illustrator Tony Persiani), shows how basement tinkering can lead to scientific discovery.

The Switzer brothers were complete opposites. Older brother Bob was hardworking and practical, while younger brother Joe was carefree and full of creative, wacky ideas. However, when an unexpected injury forced Bob to spend months recovering in a darkened basement, the two brothers happened upon an illuminating adventure—the discovery of Day-Glo colors. These glowing paints were used to send signals in World War II, help airplanes land safely at night and are now found worldwide in art and advertisements (not to mention the entire decade of 1980s fashion). Through extensive research, including Switzer family interviews and Bob's own handwritten account of events, debut author Barton brings two unknown inventors into the brilliant light they deserve. Persiani, in his picture-book debut as well, first limits the palette to grayscale, then gradually increases the use of color as the brothers' experiments progress. The final pages explode in Day-Glo radiance. Rendered in 1950s-cartoon style, with bold lines and stretched perspectives, these two putty-limbed brothers shine even more brightly than the paints and dyes they created.

This is a great read, thanks to Chris’ engaging writing and fascinating research (which he explains in an Author’s Note and which involves assistance from the families of Joe and Bob, both now deceased), as well as the illustrations from Persiani, rendered in black-and-white and the Day-Glo colors (naturally). The book, in fact, gets brighter, spread-by-spread, as one nears the end. It’s well-designed, this one is. Those economically-placed Day-Glo shades put the very “pop” in eye-popping; they never overwhelm, which could easily happen, methinks, in the hands of a less-assured illustrator. I love the book’s very topic, Chris’ curiosity having been piqued when he read Bob Switzer’s obituary back in 1997.

In this debut for both collaborators, Barton takes on the dual persona of popular historian and cool science teacher as he chronicles the Switzer brothers' invention of the first fluorescent paint visible in daylight. The aptly named Day-Glo, he explains, started out as a technological novelty act (Joe, an amateur magician, was looking for ways to make his illusions more exciting), but soon became much more: during WWII, one of its many uses was guiding Allied planes to safe landings on aircraft carriers. The story is one of quintessentially American ingenuity, with its beguiling combination of imaginative heroes (“Bob focused on specific goals, while Joe let his freewheeling mind roam every which way when he tried to solve a problem”), formidable obstacles (including, in Bob's case, a traumatic accident), a dash of serendipity and entrepreneurial zeal. Persiani's exuberantly retro 1960s drawings—splashed with Day-Glo, of course—bring to mind the goofy enthusiasm of vintage educational animation and should have readers eagerly following along as the Switzers turn fluorescence into fame and fortune.

At first glance, the 32-page Day-Glo Brothers looks like an easy-reader with cute illustrations. But once you dip into it, you find a fast-paced biography of two brother scientists/inventors in a field we scarcely think of—paint chemistry. This book provides an interesting example of chemical engineering, a field that is rarely covered in trade books or biographies.

In the 1930s in Montana, a series of events prompted brothers with very different talents to discover and successfully market the now-familiar paints. Bob was a hard worker, aiming for a scientific career in medicine, when an injury left him with brain damage and kept him confined to dark surroundings for months. Joe was creative and “exerted himself a lot less than his older brother,” but he loved to design and perform magic tricks. When they noticed fluorescent-stained bottles in their father’s dark pharmacy storeroom, that unlikely combination of factors led them to experiment with the substances, at first to generate illusions and finally to develop a variety of paints.

Paint chemistry is not high on the list of required elementary curriculum topics, to be sure, but the topic lends itself nicely to a number of ideas for enrichment. There’s the “real-world” aspect—these colors were and are used in such varied settings as Navy rescue operations, warning buoys, crossing guard vests, construction site markings, and advertising. The phenomenon of fluorescence itself is touched upon and opens up inquiry as to how it works and various examples of it in nature and inventions. There’s a simple but fairly realistic account of the invention process itself, with the usual dead-end trials and ups and downs. The brothers' cooperation and persistence are highlighted—a nice example to point out. And of course some of their early work could be explored and perhaps replicated as science fair fodder.

The language/readability is appropriate for intermediate through middle school and is decidedly non-technical. Thus, Day-Glo Brothers could be a high-interest read for children with reading but not intelligence difficulties. As a high-interest reading supplement, or an attention-getting read-aloud early in an intermediate chemistry unit, this quirky book could definitely be useful.

I absolutely loved Chris Barton's book, The Day-Glo Brothers, The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors. It's a children's book about the two brothers who invented fluorescent paint and Day-Glo paint. Joe Switzer wanted to be a magician when he was younger and he started fooling around with a black light that he and his brother Bob learned to make from a 1930s issue of Popular Science (I'm guessing it was this PopSci article from 1932).

They shined the light on the chemicals lining the shelves of their father's pharmacy and noticed that some of them glowed vibrantly. They started buying and mixing chemicals and eventually developed a number of different kinds paints that gave fluoresced under black light. Later, after much experimentation, the stumbled on paint that fluoresced under white light, which they dubbed "Day-Glo." The discovery made them very rich.

The book is illustrated by Tony Persiani, and it makes good use of Day-Glo ink, natch.

The world needs more fun history books like this!

Bob and Joe Switzer grew up in Montana and California in the 1920s and '30s, sons of a pharmacist. Bob wanted to become a doctor, while his brother Joe lived to delight audiences with his magic acts. After a head injury ended his dreams of becoming a doctor, Bob had to spend a summer recovering in a darkened basement and it was then that he helped Joe experiment with blacklights as a way to improve his magic act. Under the blacklights, the brothers saw a chemical-soaked label glowing and they set about creating flourescent paints that glowed in the dark.

Many businesses used their paints to decorate ads and displays, but the paints faded in daylight. After many different experiments, the brothers discovered a way to make their paints glow under regular white light. Voila Day-Glo!

Besides brightening up products and ads, Day-Glo colors found many uses during World War II. They were used on buoys and on signaling devices. Today, flourescent colors are used for traffic cones, highlighters, and many other items. (Check out these animations that explain how daylight flourescence works and how it's different from normal colors.)

It's books like The Day-Glo Brothers that remind me why I love nonfiction picture books and particularly picture book biographies. The book is the perfect amount of information on a subject that I never would have thought to wonder about. Add brilliant illustrations that pair perfectly with the text and you've got a delightful reading experience.

The cartoonish illustrations start out black and white. When Joe and Bob discover the glowing label, Tony Persiani adds flourescent colors. And on the spread where Joe and Bob see their first Day-Glo billboard, the illustrations burst into full Day-Glo colors.

I think this is a perfect story to capture the imaginations of kids. I mean, inventing a new color? What a cool thing to do with your life!

At the end of the book, Chris Barton includes information about how regular flourescence works and how daylight flourescence works and an author's note that details his research. Since there were few books available about Day-Glo, much of his research came from interviewing and speaking with Switzer family members and people who knew the Switzer brothers. Very cool.

Before 1935, fluorescent colors did not exist. Barton discusses how two brothers worked together to create the eye-popping hues. Joe Switzer figured out that using a black light to create a fluorescent glow could spruce up his magic act, so the brothers built an ultraviolet lamp. They began to experiment with various chemicals to make glow-in-the-dark paints. Soon Joe used fluorescent-colored paper costumes in his act and word got around. Through trial and error, the brothers perfected their creation. The story is written in clear language and includes whimsical cartoons. While endpapers are Day-Glo bright, most of the story is illustrated in black, white, gray, and touches of color, culminating in vivid spreads. Discussions on regular fluorescence and daylight fluorescence are appended. This unique book does an excellent job of describing an innovative process.

It’s hard to imagine a world without the Day-Glo colors in shocking greens, blazing oranges, and screaming yellows. But before World War II, those colors didn’t exist. This fascinating picture book, chock full of well-explained information, traces the invention of Day-Glo paint and the two men who developed it following an inopportune accident in the ketchup factory by one brother and an interest in magic by the other.

Explanations about light, fluorescence, and refraction fit nicely into the narrative of the brothers’ lives as Barton details the steps of their progress. The quality writing in this glowing nonfiction makes the story readable and the interesting stages along the way keep the pace brisk.

Bright endpapers reflect the Day-Glo colors and welcome the reader to something special inside. The illustrations begin in black and white and color is gradually added to the stylistic art until the Day-Glo colors appear in screaming brilliance in the final spreads. Additional information follows the story, along with an author’s note and how he heard of the Switzer brothers.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find a non-fiction children's book that can be both educational and entertaining. And even then, most of these are typically about animals or nature. Finding one about an everyday household item is even more unusual. Meet the Day-Glo Brothers.

We are all familiar with the eye-popping greens, yellows and oranges that are created with daylight fluorescents. They appear on life jackets, running shoes, traffic cones, hunting vests, sports equipment and more. But have you ever wondered how this process works or how it was created?

Brothers Bob and Joe Switzer couldn't have been more different. Joe had his sights set on becoming a magician while Bob wanted to be a doctor. Bob's dreams were dashed in an accident at work, when he fell and hit his head, causing seizures and double vision. He began to help Joe expplore the possibilities of using fluorescence to jazz up his magic act. The Switzers built an ultraviolet lamp and started to experiment with chemicals to make glow-in-the-dark paints. These paints only showed up under ultraviolet light, but not in ordinary daylight.

Though trial and hard work, the brothers discovered a process to make those same paints glow in ordinary daylight too! Called "Day-Glo" these were in demand during World War II - used to send signals, mark water buoys, and to aid on lifeboats and aircraft carrier crews. After the war, day-glo colors were marketed to the general public and showed up in our everyday life.

Overall, an excellent and educational book in one package. Pair that with the brilliant and colorful illustrations from Tony Persiani and this is a great addition to your bookshelf. The small details make this a fascinating read, which makes a great story for kids of many ages.

They may be colors you want to wear only during hunting season, but day-glo green, yellow and orange have proved useful, even life-saving, ever since the Switzer brothers figured out fluorescence in the 1930s. First-time author Chris Barton clearly and crisply explains how the two young men managed to work together despite the fact that one wanted to be a magician and the other a physician (before suffering a major head injury). Illustrator Tony Persiani presents a lively cartoonish version of the brothers, starting out in a retro black-and-white world and adding bits of day-glo brightness until the brothers inspect a billboard they created. Not only is the roadside sign flaming orange, but Persiani infuses the whole landscape with fluorescent flavors. Readers will learn the difference between regular and daylight fluorescence, how the Switzers' invention helped win World War II (day-glo buoys, for example, marked mine-free zones) and where fluorescent paint shows up in our daily lives, in everything from golf balls and hula hoops to traffic cones. This engaging picture book makes a bright idea stand out even more.

Brothers Robert and Joseph Switzer, inventors of fluorescent paints commonly known as Day-Glo, did not plan to become inventors as they grew up. Bob wanted to become a doctor while Joe had an avid interest in magic. When a serious accident left Bob recuperating from a head injury in their darkened basement while Joe was thinking about how fluorescence could add excitement to his magic acts, the young men started experimenting in the dark with ultraviolet light and chemicals that emitted a glow.
Once they realized that they could use certain chemicals to make glow-in-the-dark paints and sell them for posters and store-window displays, Bob and Joe’s idea took off. They worked hard for years to refine their paints and contribute to a host of extremely useful applications, including fabric panels, buoys, and fluorescent suits used to save lives during World War II; as well as numerous products commonly used today, including traffic cones, life vests, magic markers, hula hoops, street signs, and golf balls.
Based on primary sources that include interviews with Bob and Joe Switzer’s family members, this carefully-researched book provides a fascinating profile of a material we take for granted and the men who created it. The illustrations, which start in grey-tone and progressively incorporate a range of fluorescent yellow, green, and orange colors, make a striking contribution to the story. This unique book certainly adds a dazzling dimension to our understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship.

It's right there in the name--Day-Glo--but it's almost too obvious to notice. Namely, fluorescent colors don't typically glow in daylight--they glow in the dark, under an ultraviolet lamp. But Bob and Joe Switzer's revolutionary paint managed to pump up the volume by releasing some of the absorbed daylight, thus adding to the reflected light. Behind the strange invention is a modestly loopy story that Chris Barton tells with humor and a little awe. "One of Bob Switzer's sons sent me the original notes and correspondence that Bob and Joe kept while they were doing their initial experiments," he says. "These documents should have been in the Smithsonian. Instead they were with me at Kinko's! I felt much more like a historian than I ever had while sitting in college classrooms and getting my history degree." From posters to World War II applications to Tony Persianai's glowing retro-1960s artwork, Day-Glo has left its mark, radiantly.

When I saw this book sitting on my co-worker's desk, I was immediately drawn to the art style and limited palette of flourescent colors. Further inspection revealed that: A) it was a rambling story about the brothers who invented day-glo inks and B) he was the illustrator. Apparently, after being sidetracked early on by an unfortunate ketchup accident, everything came together for Bob and Joe Switzer sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s with a billboard selling oranges that were so bright "they looked like they were on fire from a mile away". These days the Day-Glo® company has a website where you can buy day-glo ink jet cartridges, but it is really not a very compelling site design since day-glo colors don't translate well on screen. The photos of book also don't fully capture its day-glo-awesomeness either, which is why I recommend you check it out in person. I still don't fully understand the science, flourescence, light reflection, black lights, but I love the idea that there are still colors out there waiting to be discovered. When I think about it I can't help but start combining swatches in my mind to try to think up new colors, but no luck so far.

Chris Barton’s vibrant and irresistible The Day-Glo Brothers (Charlesbridge, 2009; Gr 4-6) relates the story of the industrious and ingenious Switzer siblings. While still in school, Joe, the younger brother, earned money as a magician; Bob's interests were science related. When an accident kept Bob housebound for several months, the two began working together to see if they could make the objects in Joe’s magic act glow brighter. Their experiments paid off, but for years the two continued to improve on their ideas, eventually producing some truly eye-popping colors. Tony Persiani’s retro artwork begins in shades of gray and black against white backgrounds; colors are slowly added until the final pages, which pulsate with shades of yellow, orange, and green. After sharing this book with your students, visit the publisher’s Web site for an animated mini-lesson on how “regular fluorescence and daylight fluorescence work.”

Chris Barton's The Day-Glo Brothers is one of those quintessential American stories that will remind readers that hard work and some serious garage (or basement) inventing is to a large degree what this country is made of. We all have heard about the American dream—heck most of us were raised on the promise of it—but finding someone who achieved it realistically (without Michael Jackson talent or Bill Gates brilliance) isn't so easy. Enter the story of Bob and Joe Switzer who took a hobby and some curiosity and invented a paint that is so ubiquitous that most of us have never given where it came from a second thought.

Bob and Joe were set on fairly typical careers back in the 1930s: Joe as a magician and Bob on his way to college and a future in medicine. After a terrible accident however he was forced to a long recuperation in his parents' home in a darkened basement due to complications from a head injury. Joe kept his brother company while working on lighting tricks to enhance his magic. They read Popular Science, began experimenting with black light and eventually started mixing their own chemicals to make "glow-in-the-dark paints". The casual inventing became a commercial venture which exploded when they accidentally invented a new color that glowed both in daylight and ultraviolent light: Day-Glo.

Barton tells what could be a complicated story about chemicals and science in very readable manner. He also goes very far toward making science accessible for any reader—even the young or those who might have been disinterested in the subject before. I love one of the quotes he has from Joe: "If just one experiment out of a thousand succeeds, then you're ahead of the game." The whole story is about a "can do" attitude and fearless desire to find out how to improve their produce. It's clear that Barton liked the story of the Switzer brothers and his enthusiasm for his subject is contagious.

While heartily recommending The Day-Glo Brothers, I must also say a word about Tony Persiani's illustrations. Starting out in black and white with a 1950s advertising style, color slowly comes into the story as the Switzers make their discoveries. When Day-Glo makes its appearance on a billboard, the orange literally leaps off the page and from there along with yellow and green it is mesmerizing. This is a perfect marriage of subject, story and illustration and should be read by any curious child over the age of seven or eight. (Inventive teens in particular will adore it.)

The unlikely subjects of this fascinating picture book biography exemplify ingenuity and dedication to chasing one's dreams.

First featured in the Fall Preview, Chris Barton breaks down the
story behind the discovery of Day-Glo colors in this tale of two
brothers—one practical, one creative—who worked together to
develop the neon brights that forever changed the world. The
book required extensive research, as Barton delved into one
brother’s notes and interviews with the family to re-create the
story. The effort was well worth it. “The final pages explode in
Day-Glo radiance,” said the Kirkus review. “Rendered in 1950s cartoon
style, with bold lines and stretched perspectives, these
two putty-limbed brothers shine even more brightly than the
paints and dyes they created.”