The House That Cleaned Itself: The True Story of Frances Gabe's (Mostly) Marvelous Invention

NSTA Best STEM Books Selection
Like most of us, Frances Gabe detested housework -- she found cleaning a "nerve-twangling bore". Unlike most of us, she invented a contraption to free herself from this tedious task forever: a self-cleaning house! Gabe's wacky, wonderful home included almost 70 new patented inventions, from a soap-spraying sprinkler in the ceiling to a kitchen cabinet that washed, dried, and stored dishes all in one place. Though Gabe's invention didn't catch on, her determination and clever thinking remind us that we don't have to accept the world as it is; we can improve it using our minds and our own two hands.

Publisher: Innovation Press
Published: 09/24/2019
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.06lbs
Size: 9.80h x 10.10w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781943147656
Age: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2019

About the Author

LAURA DERSHEWITZ would much rather do crosswords-or anything, really-than housework. A former high school English teacher, Laura currently works in educational publishing. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, daughter, and self-cleaning cats.

SUSAN ROMBERG wishes her house would clean itself-especially her kids' rooms. When she's not scraping gum off the floor, Susan writes and edits educational materials. She lives with her family outside of Chicago and sometimes runs into Laura Dershewitz at the grocery store.

MEGHANN RADER is an illustrator from Vancouver Island, Canada. She has a BFA from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and spent several years showing and selling her original artwork before discovering that illustration was her true calling. Her art has since been featured on greeting cards, stationery and textiles around the world. The House That Cleaned Itself is her first picture book.