Pedro’s Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys

Rob Peñas, illus. by Carl Angel. Lee & Low, $20.95 (40p) ISBN 978-1-6365-5112-8

This contextualizing origin story of one of the most successful toys of all time doubles as the biography of Filipino entrepreneur Pedro Flores (1896–1964). Born during Spain’s rule of the Philippines, Flores immigrated to the United States at 15 after the country was sold to the U.S. Arriving in Honolulu, he labored in pineapple fields, then took work on steamships, before heading to high school years later. Working as a bellhop in Santa Barbara, he “felt no better off than when he left the Philippines,” Peñas writes. To entertain the child of a family he stayed with, he carved a wooden yo-yo, a version of a childhood toy he’d played with back home, and taught the boy tricks. Word spread, and Flores soon opened one factory, then more, to manufacture yo-yos. Angel’s uneven digital illustrations capture experiences of colonialism and labor alongside the joy of a new toy in this well-researched picture book affirming ingenuity and perseverance. An author’s note and more concludes. Ages 4–7. (Apr.) stayed connected.” Following the puzzle-like creation of what would become the Rubik’s Cube, Kramer uses sketch-like mixedmedia images to break down the process, vividly capturing the serendipity, setbacks, and grit that eventually get Rubik to “twenty-six little cubes and one round mechanical core.” Even readers who find the invention more maddening than “magic” should be captivated by this tale of imagination, tenacity, and a global phenomenon that’s still going strong. More information and an author’s note conclude. Ages 4–8. (June)