Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine: Josephine Cochranes Bright Invention Makes a Splash by Kate Hannigan

Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine: Josephine Cochranes Bright Invention Makes a Splash Reviews

• 
  Laura

  I love these books for kids that teach the adults about history that we never knew about. Apparently Josephine Cochrane wanted to find a way to wash dishes without cracking them, as well as save time. So she decided to create a dishwasher. Only problem was, most people didn’t have electricity, so even though she invented it for the common people, she ended up having her most success selling her invention to restaurants and hotels, where they needed these devices, and had electricity.
  
  Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. The book also mentions other women who were inventors because they saw a need for whatever it was. Mary Anderson, and what became windshield wipers. Margaret E. Knight, who invented, amongst other things, the machine to make square paper bags. And of course Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips, who invented the game that became Monopoly.
  
  Good book to encourage girls into STEM and STEAM. Very inspiring.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
  
• 
  Mehsi

  I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review~
  
  
  I saw this book and knew I wanted to read it. I had no clue who invented the Dishwashing Machine, so I was eager to read all about this inventor and see how they came to the idea of it!
  
  In this book we learn all about a woman named Josephine Garis Cochrane. A woman who was already being kick-ass and then decided to invent something for the dishes. She noticed that a lot of her dishes were chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged. Well, girl, I am not sure how you do your dishes, but um, sure, sometimes things get dinged or crack, but that is generally not happening during the washing. What do you do with it? Throw it in? XD But OK, thanks to her terrible skills (and probably someone who helps with the cleaning) she decides to make a machine that makes the dishes clean. We see her work hard to make a prototype, and I loved that she had help from someone with the more mechanical parts, someone who thought her idea was brilliant. And I loved that despite some bad things happening (her husband dying) she kept on trying. Kept her head up and kept going for it. I loved seeing the machine change and get better with each new version. I loved that people were enthusiastic about it. It was really interesting and I just couldn’t stop reading.
  
  Bonus points to some cute puppers! Love it!
  
  I am really happy with a dishwasher. Never had one until I moved to this house 3 years ago, it was already installed in the kitchen by the previous owners. Thankfully. Otherwise we would probably still be washing by hand. As I have been doing all my life, and still do for my smaller dishes. I do think it is funny how the book made it seem like so many people have one in their homes. But my parents didn’t and I didn’t know anyone who had one when I was younger. And no, we weren’t poor. Maybe it is an American thing? Maybe in America most people have one? I don’t know. I just thought it stood out.
  
  The art was really pretty, I loved the style.
  
  All in all, a very interesting book about the dishwasher and the inventor of it + I loved the extra bonus bits~ I would recommend it and hope that there will be more books like this.
  
  Review first posted at
  https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
• 
  Karlin Gray

  I have added this book to my TrueStory Bookshop and recommend it in two categories:
  Picture-Book Biographies ~ Women’s History
  Picture-Book Biographies ~ Makers
  
  https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray
• 
  Ms. Yingling

  E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
  
  Josephine Cochrane was an inquisitive woman who was born in 1839. She identified a problem: women had to spend too much time washing dishes. She worked to solve it, even after her husband passed away and she had to support her family. With the help of a mechanic, she eventually came up with a system similar to the one still used today, and filed the patent for it. She worked diligently to market it, but although restaurants and businesses were interested, it didn't really catch on for home use. She died in 1913 just as a wide range of labor saving household appliances were being adopted in homes.
  
  Kate Hannigan has a strong interest in women's history, and I enjoyed her The Detective's Assistant. I didn't know about this story, and was glad to learn about a female inventor well before even my grandmother's time. There are good notes about other inventors as well, and a nice notes at the end giving more information about Cochrane.
  
  Thimmesh's Girls Think of Everything is my go to collective biography for female inventors, but this is a great addition to books about women inventors like Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Wallmark and Chu, In the Bag!: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up by Kulling, and Robinson's Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie.
• 
  Eileen Winfrey

  A lady of privilege invents the dishwasher because she wanted neither chipped dishes nor dishpan hands. She showed it at the 1893 World's Fair, patented it and built a company around it (after her husband died of course, so she was allowed to do these things). One small problem with a solution that endures.
• 
  Lellie Reads

  "Few patent holders wore petticoats."
  
  This is a great and interesting story of Josephine Cochrane, the inventor of the first dishwashing machine in the late 19th century. I didn't know who she was before but I'm glad to have learned from this book! I read a bit more about her after I finished the book and saw where her brand was merged with KitchenAid after her death. Such a great telling of a brilliant woman and the illustrations are fantastic as well!
  
  Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  Miss_Cultura

  Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine by Kate Hannigan with illustrations by Sarah Green has delighted me. My latest readings have been about women who changed the world and when I discovered this illustrated book, with her biography and so well detailed, I wanted to read it. Also, with the author's note, her story complements her story perfectly.
  I don't know why I was surprised to learn that Josephine Garis Cochrane was the inventor of the dishwasher, as a man would not make it so easy and simple.
  I admired her tenacity, her willpower and her stubbornness. I believe that without these virtues she would not have got as far as she did.
  
  Josephine Garis Cochrane was intelligent and realised that if her achievements were not patented... they could be appropriated by anyone.
  Narrated almost as if it were a fairy tale, this picture book has made me know the good and the bad of this inventor who changed the lives of millions of women and households.
  I am angry with myself, as I had never heard of Josephine and had no idea of the origin of this household appliance.
  Maybe because I'm used to seeing it and it's an everyday thing, I didn't take it into account.
  
  It reads in a heartbeat and you are curious about how she will come out of the storms or the bad things that have happened in her life.
  Tireless and perfectionist. I think those were two of her greatest qualities, as she never gave up and if she did, she disguised it perfectly.
  We forget people too quickly and thanks to Kate Hannigan and Sarah Green I have been able to discover someone who, if she had been given more wings, I think she would have invented more things.
  So, I won't tell you much in detail, but I encourage you to get to know her life and get to know her. You will fall in love with her.
  
  
  https://blog.paseandoamisscultura.com...
• 
  Aylea

  "The woman of the future will have the memory of Josephine Garis Cochrane in grateful remembrance. It was she who invented the machine which has set woman free from the most slavish and disgusting task of housekeeping--dishwashing." - The Daily Picayune, April 2, 1892
  
  Josephine was a modern woman who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, but she wanted to be doing things other than washing endless dishes. It was a time of invention, and her father and grandfather had invented things themselves. She was convinced that there had to be another way. She measured, tinkered, tested, refined, and rethought until it started to work. Over time, she gets her patent, takes her invention to a world's fair, and started a factor. All along, when she encountered trouble, she would also say "there has to be a better way" and finds it to make the world a little better every day.
  
  I love the highlights from other inventors. It talks about Thomas Edison and Alexander Grahm Bell, but it also highlights Margaret E. Knight and Sarah E. Goode, took women who, just like Josephine, aren't often remembered for their achievements. The historical quotes are small but lovely details that are added naturally, and the author's note at the end talks about the challenges Josephine would have faced as a woman in an environment where women were not permitted or welcome.
  
  This positive book is a wonderful way to inspire young children to invent solutions, get things done, and never give up, no matter how hard things get.
• 
  Stephanie Tournas

  I had never heard of Josephine Cochrane, and was happy to learn about this person who invented a dishwashing machine - one of my favorite appliances! I don't think that Cochrane, who lived in the mid 19th century, usually had to do all her home's dishes. But she was annoyed by how handwashing caused chips and dings on her dishware. Cochrane had an inventor's spirit, and she lived in an age of invention - Edison's light bulb, Bell's telephone, and others. And inventing was in her blood too - her father built bridges, and her great-grandfather designed steamboats. So, "Josephine rolled up her sleeves."
  
  The book emphasizes all the research, pondering, tinkering and measuring she did to arrive at her idea of metal baskets to hold the dishware and the design of a wheel to spray hot water. She worked with a mechanic to bring her idea to fruition, and in 1886 her patent was approved. The author explains the obstacles Cochrane faced as a woman trying to run a company and attract investors at the time. Substantial back matter puts her invention in perspective, including a list of notable women inventors, with photographs, and a timeline of fascinating inventions. An author's note includes more biographical information and a view of her patent application. There's also a list of sources. The digital artwork is colorful and appealing, showing tools and machines among the cakes, dishware and dogs that Cochrane loved.
• 
  Sandy Brehl

  Josephine lived with enough means to have domestic help, yet the process of washing dishes, especially after a crowd, left her precious dishware dinged and chipped. Not one to complain without taking action, she plunged in to wash them herself, only to discover how much precious TIME was wasted in this process. As a modern woman (in post-Civil War 1800's) she was aware of many new inventions, some even created by women inventors. With a family heritage of inventors, Josephine was driven to create a machine that could safely and thoroughly wash and rinse her dishes without damaging them.
  
  She not only imagined, sketched, and revised, she got to work with tools and her own two hands to bring her ideas into the world. This book credits the man, George Butters, who worked on these attempts with her (something rarely done by male inventors when assistants were women). It also indicates the near-disastrous impact of her husband's early death and ensuing debts.But Josephine was as determined as she was modern, which this book depicts with colorful and appealing illustrations that reveal much about the time, circumstances, and processes that led her to eventual successes. Efficient and compelling text throughout make Josephine's personality and accomplishments shine as brightly has her newly washed dishes. The expanded content in back matter provide excellent additional resources.
• 
  ⋆｡°✩☾⋆Benita｡°✩

  What an inspiring book about not giving up on your dreams.
  
  Josephine Garis Cochrane is the woman behind one of the most popular inventions of all time: the washing machine. She wanted more time to do the things she loved like frosting a cake and petting her hounds, so in return she invented a machine so she would spend less time doing the dishes.
  
  A wonderful and inspiring book for young readers who are dreaming about creating stuff! And it doesn’t end with Cochrane, other inventors are listed in the back of the book—get inspired! Always wanted to create a device to make every day life simpler? Don’t give up on that dream, even though it might take a while. You’ll get there!
  
  I think this will be a great book to make young readers make their dreams come true. It will take some time, but think of how many you will help with your creations! As a 24-year-old I found this book to be amazing, even inspiring. We definitely need books like these to show us the wonders our past women have done! I recommend it!
  
  Happy reading!♥️
  
  I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Panda Incognito

  This picture biography shares the little-known story of the female inventor and entrepreneur who invented and marketed the first dishwashers. The story is well-paced and engaging, showing how Josephine Cochrane persevered through her challenges to create a successful new product that has bettered many lives. At the end of the book, there is an author's note with additional information, a list of various notable female inventors, and a timeline of many major inventions. This book is an excellent choice for schools, homes, and libraries, and I appreciate how it incorporates important themes about women's rights without being preachy.
  
  I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris

  Brief summary: Josephine Cochrane was tired of spending so much time washing dishes while wanting to do more exciting things in her household. Plus, her dishes were getting chipped. After several tries, she came up with the dishwasher and patented it.
  
  Her invention was used in hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and other places with high quantities of dishwashing. Thankfully, she was also able to invent a small dishwasher to be used in homes.
  
  Comments: The back sections are Author's Note (with a photo of the dishwashing machine, patented on Dec. 28, 1886), Notable Women Inventors,  and Timeline of Fascinating Inventions.
  
  This is an excellent addition to any library for learning about inventions.
  
  Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
• 
  Sunday

  There must be a better way!
  
  This repetitive text moves the story about Josephine Cochrane's invention of the dishwashing machine forward. Hannigan's writing and Green's illustrations draw students into a story filled with many obstacles and daring outcomes!
  
  This book would make for a good READ ALOUD in grades k-2 especially during a STEM unit of study and for PARTNER READING & DISCUSSING in the middle grades. The back matter includes an author's note that is worthy of middle grade students reading and considering.
  
  The BACK MATTER includes a list of other women inventors - begging our students to research additional historical figures and the impact they've had on our daily lives.
• 
  Morgan

  I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
  This book is written for younger readers, about middle grade. This book is about the invention of the dishwasher and the woman who made it. The book covers Josephine's life and the difficulties she faced.
  I think that the book did a good job telling about Josephine, however, they leave out the contribution of her partner that helped her in the early years of developing the dishwasher. I also did not like the way the extra information was presented in the end. The list of notable inventions did not make much sense when the book seemed to be trying to highlight female inventors.
• 
  Carlee Miller

  I really enjoyed this book! The illustrations were wonderful. The book is about Josephine Cochran, who invented the dishwasher. Josephine hoped to prevent damage to dishes and give women back hours for other pursuits than washing dishes. I also appreciated that the book highlighted other inventors from the time period, including some I hadn't heard of before. This was a short and sweet read. At the end of the book, some other notable women inventors are briefly highlighted. Thank you NetGalley for providing me a digital advanced copy!
• 
  Melki

  An interesting and fun look at Josephine Cochrane and her attempt to design, patent, and market a dishwashing machine. Though the odds were stacked against her, she persevered and saw her invention take off. With lovely, detailed illustrations by Sarah Green.
  
  There is an author's note, a look at other notable women inventors, a timeline, and bibliography at the end of the book.
• 
  Lexi

  What a great book for empowering young inventors! This story of Josephine Cochrane is approachable in that is tells her story of inventing and improving the dishwasher without overwhelming the reader with thick text and without leaving out important information. The book also does a great job of showing the reader the world that Josephine lived in during that time period, the struggles she faced with her gender, and what she was up against at the patent office in the age of inventing.
• 
  Jena Groshek

  I actually didn’t think I’d like this book very much, but it’s a very digestible STEM example of identifying a problem, and figuring out a way to solve it and the process of solving it. The backmatter was particularly interesting as it detailed historical patents originated by women, as well as a timeline of notable inventions in the late 1800s-mid 1900s
  
  Thanks Calkins Creek for having this book available at ABA Children’s Institute 2023!
• 
  Amanda

  "Hope on, hope ever--that is my motto. It is a good world, and getting better every day..." ~ Josephine Garis Cochran
  
  In a time when married women couldn't do much of anything without their husband's permission, Josephine dreamed of finding a better way to give people the time to do the things they loved and not be stuck at a sink full of dirty dishes. Showing Josephine's determination, dreams, and can-do attitude, this colorful book was a joy to read.
• 
  Caroline

  Another fabulous picture book biography about a little known person in history! Josephine was a female inventor during a time women didn't have many rights and opportunities. Story and illustrations create an absorbing and upbeat narrative, back matter includes information on the challenges for female inventors at the time and a time line of fascinating inventions
• 
  Curren

  I really enjoyed this book, and especially liked the lists on female and first inventors at the end. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I would have liked to have seen better illustrations showing how the machines worked. I think it would have helped kids (and myself!) understand the early versions better. But still, the illustrations were very nice.
• 
  Amy Bell

  Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine is a good book for kids to learn about the inventing process as well as a little known female inventor. The illustrations are appropriate for younger kids and the story length should keep most kids engaged.
  Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.
• 
  Cindy Dobrez

  I've read about many of the women inventors mentioned in the back matter, but I had not heard of Josephine Cochrane. I wish I'd known about her as a tween when I asked my parents to purchase a dishwasher and they replied, "We already have one...YOU." This is another solid picturebook biography emphasizing persistence.
• 
  Debra

  This wonderful picture book biography shows the original idea and the process of building a business back in the late 1800's. Her notion that women deserved a better way to safely wash dishes with a machine. The illustrations by Sarah Green are charming and should be engaging enough to gain readers. The back matter is fascinating!
  
  I will get this book for my elementary schools.