Mazeika, Katie. Beulah Has a Hunch! Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry. Beach Lane Books. 978-1-665-90363-9. 40 p. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

From the time she was a young girl, Beulah Henry searched for problems and imagined solutions for them. Whenever she came across a problem, she would fixate on it, turning possibilities over and over in her head until at last she visualized an answer. Beulah had hyperphantasia, meaning in her mind, she pictured things in extreme three-dimensional detail. She also had synesthesia, which made words, numbers, and musical notes appear in different colors. Throughout her career, she worked with draftsmen, mechanics, and model makers to create detailed, technical drawings of the inventions she visualized. She held forty-nine known patents and is credited with more than one hundred inventions. One of her most famous inventions was the Snappon Umbrella which had a collapsible handle and interchangeable fabric covers that women could snap on and off to match their outfits. She also invented spring-limbed stuffed animals, a doll voice box, ways for dolls to open and close their eyes, and innovative parts for sewing machines and typewriters. This title brings Beulah’s story to life through vibrant digital illustrations, and backmatter includes biographical information, a timeline, and photographs.

THOUGHTS: Nicknamed “Lady Edison,” Beulah’s accomplishments are all the more remarkable because she lived during a time when public education was a new idea, and girls were not expected to study math and science. This title not only celebrates a little-known inventor who thrived in a field dominated by men, but it also highlights Beulah as someone who spoke openly about neurodiversity. Share this with STEM teachers and those looking for fresh subjects for biography projects.

609.2 Inventors
Biography