Almost Underwear - by Jonathan Roth (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Here is the amazing true story of how a single piece of cloth-originally destined to become underwear-was used in the design of the Wright brothers' Flyer, traveled to the Moon with Apollo 11, and is currently wandering Mars on Ingenuity"--

Book Synopsis

Did you know that a piece of cloth from the Wright Brothers' Flyer has traveled to the moon, and Mars?

With NASA photos and playful illustrations throughout, here is an incredible slice of hidden history and an introduction to the science of air and space for all ages.

★ "A flight of fancy--and facts--sure to set aspiring scientists' imaginations soaring."--Kirkus, starred review

One day in 1903 the Wright brothers entered a department store in Ohio to buy a bolt of fabric. The plain muslin cloth was most often used to make underwear. As it happens, the Wright brothers were about to wrap the simple cloth around the ribs of a mechanical 'wing' and dramatically change the world. Sixty-six years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrongtook a big leap onto the moon. With him was a swatch of the exact fabric the bicycle mechanics had purchased in 1903. Fifty-two years after that, in 2021, a remote-controlled car-sized explorer landed on Mars. Attached to the underside of a cable was a tiny piece of very old cloth--cloth that had almost become underwear. Almost Underwear is the story of that incredible piece of fabric, and the historic 'firsts' it stitches together.

Junior Library Guild Selection
Kirkus Best of Picture Books 2024
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee for Grades 3-5
Orange Blossom Nonfiction Award

★ "Readers with stars (and planets) in their eyes will be fascinated by this little-known swatch of detail from the story of our space program."--Booklist, starred review

★"A delight from takeoff to landing." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Review Quotes

"Jonathan Roth explains how an ordinary piece of cloth intended to be made into underwear ended up on the wings of the Wright brothers' airplane and eventually made it to the Moon -- and then Mars. A true story!"--The Washington Post

"Combining historical photographs and NASA concept art with the author's cartoonish illustrations creates an enjoyable informational picture book that connects the past to the present. Roth's clear and compelling narrative follows the swatch's fascinating journey through the history of flight." --The Horn Book

"Eye-catching spreads feature photographs with additional ebullient, cartoonlike illustrations, including the charming cloth and historical figures. Roth's text will enthrall readers of all ages, brimming with humor and successfully building suspense as the apparently ordinary cloth embarks on incredible adventures. A fascinating and factual examination of a fantastic piece of flight history, and a welcome addition to all collections."
--School Library Journal

"A blend of cartooning and archival photos from NASA and the National Air and Space Museum evokes an informative comic book feel, adding in mechanical detail that's just right for budding aeronautical gearheads. But it's the work's narrative voice, which alternates between droll humor and geeky enthusiasm, that makes this textile yarn a delight from takeoff to landing." --Publishers Weekly

"A flight of fancy--and facts--sure to set aspiring scientists' imaginations soaring." --Kirkus, starred review

"Inserting cartoon figures into photos of actual sites both terrestrial and extraterrestrial, Roth explains how a certain bolt of unbleached muslin has been "woven into the fabric of history." Readers with stars (and planets) in their eyes will be fascinated by this little-known swatch of detail from the story of our space program."--Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Author-illustrator Jonathan Roth has been fascinated with robotic space missions since the Viking lander sent back the first images from the surface of Mars. Jonathan, who teaches elementary art, lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and two kitties in a house on a rocky planet orbiting a fiery star in a barred spiral galaxy.