Families who loved Snot Collectors and Spider Ladders and Other Bonkers Inventions by Mike Goldsmith often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is feeling frustrated by a mistake or needs a reminder that 'perfect' is the enemy of 'fun.' It is an ideal choice for the perfectionist who fears failure or the tinker who spends hours building gadgets that do not always work as planned. This hilarious collection of history's most bizarre and useless inventions serves as a lighthearted masterclass in human trial and error. By exploring items like peck-proof eyewear for chickens and noodle-cooling fans, the book helps children see that even 'failed' ideas require incredible creativity and persistence. It is a fantastic tool for normalizing failure through humor, making it perfect for ages 7 to 12. Parents will appreciate how it frames engineering and history through a lens of joy and absurdity, encouraging kids to keep dreaming even when their ideas seem bonkers.
