The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer

by Marcie Wessels, Beatriz Castro (Illustrator)

Overview

Crazy about Wii, Nintendo, X-Box, and PlayStation? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible: Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system!
 
Today, the video game industry keeps growing, with ever more platforms available to fans. But how did the very first system come about? This picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US, introduces kids to a great inventor AND the birth of the first home console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television into a vehicle for gaming; Baer's invention, the Odyssey, is a precursor to the Atari gaming system. Today, interactive systems like Wii and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative “Brown Box,” making this award-winning inventor the true “Father of Video Games.”
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454932598
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	05/12/2020
Series:	People Who Shaped Our World Series , #8
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	188,094
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Marcie Wessels is the author of Pirate’s Lullaby: Mutiny at Bedtime. She has a PhD in Latin American Literature from Tulane University. Previously she taught Spanish Language and Literature at the University of San Diego. She lives in San Diego, CA.

Beatriz Castro born in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain. After graduating from the School of Arts in Logroño in 2008, she embarked on a career as a professional illustrator. Her art has appeared on covers and in books produced by international publishers. Beatriz lives in her native town with her family.

Editorial Reviews

03/16/2020

Written by Wessels “for gamers everywhere,” this book introduces readers to Ralph Baer, “Radio technician/ Television designer/ Electronics engineer/ Video game pioneer/ Toy and game inventor.” Wessels describes Baer’s childhood in Cologne, Germany (“Ralph played freely until being outside became too dangerous for a Jewish kid like him”); his emigration to the United States; military service; and career in electronics. Baer’s building and tinkering is a constant: “Most people thought TV was magical. Critics called it the ‘idiot box’... Ralph saw it as a box full of possibilities.” In 1972, after years of rejection, Baer’s video game console that turned televisions into gaming systems was released as the Magnavox Odyssey. Wessels’s unabashed fandom (“For the first time ever, people discovered a fun new way to use their TV!”) will appeal to the like-minded. Castro’s illustrations combine cartoonish exaggeration with realistic details, including plenty of tubes and plugs, to depict Baer’s journey. Ages 5–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Wessels’ clear, flowing text provides a bounty of information on Ralph’s life, inspiration, and thought process, detailing his contagious excitement and thoughtful perseverance. A nice portrait of a lesser-known inventor whose work has had a tremendous influence on our modern-day world."—Booklist

From the Publisher

02/01/2020

Gr 1–4—Wessels's picture book biography introduces video game fans to the pioneer behind the technology. Ralph Baer (1922–2014) began tinkering with electronics as a Jewish child surviving in Nazi-controlled Germany. After his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, Baer continued learning, building, and inventing, eventually working for NASA. Baer's interest in the newly invented television set planted a seed in his mind—what if games could be played on the television itself? The result was the Brown Box, the first home game console later released as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The narrative focuses on Baer's career trajectory and his inventions, with little attention paid to his personal life. The creator's effort and commitment to bringing his ideas to fruition is abundant throughout the story, as is the reality of experiencing rejection from critics and disbelievers. Illustrator Castro provides colorful depictions of Baer and his inventions, skillfully representing each era's clothing, hairstyles, and decor. The book can be a starting point for social studies units involving historical events and specific eras. VERDICT A gentle introduction to a passionate inventor's incredible impact on our culture. Young gamers will get a kick out of their beloved systems' humble beginnings.—Casey O'Leary, Meredith Nicholson School 96, IN

School Library Journal

2019-12-18
Jewish inventor Ralph Baer never stopped pursuing his passion for learning, tinkering, and building, whether to solve problems, advance technology, or find new ways to spread fun.

Beginning with his childhood in Nazi-era Cologne, Germany, this biography follows Baer's journey to becoming the "Father of Video Games." Throughout his life, new problems and puzzles pushed him to seek solutions. He helped his family immigrate to the United States in 1938 and rebuild their lives. A childhood fascination with his construction set turned into an interest in the workings of developing technology. Baer saw possibility in what others criticized, including television, which he imagined as a platform for games. Wessels narrates the story of Baer's inventive history in a conversational tone, using exclamation marks and posing rhetorical questions. Active and expressive cartoon illustrations accompany the text. Perseverance and creativity in the face of challenges recur as important themes and keys to Baer's success. Moreover, Wessels emphasizes Baer's curiosity in the process of creation, not simply the result. While the narrative remains focused, the sense of Baer's age and the year are disconnected. The few touchstones for time provide no more than a loose progression of events and their historical context, making the book most suitable for pleasure and a gateway for further research.

A personable and energetic introduction with a positive message. (author's note, additional reading, selected bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews