Rube Goldberg's Simple Normal Definitely Different Day Off

JENNIFER GEORGE is president of the Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation and Creativity. George is Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter and lives and works in New York City.

U.S.A. $18.99 CAN. $23.99 U.K. £13.99

ED STECKLEY is an award-winning print and advertising illustrator. He grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and currently lives in New York City.

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RUBE GOLDBERG (1883–1971), born in San Francisco of German-Jewish descent, was an award-winning cartoonist best known for his wacky invention drawings that did very simple things in a comical and overly complicated way. Rube was trained to be an engineer, but after six months working in that field, he decided to shift gears and pursue a career in cartooning. And while his engineering background informed his art, he never actually built the machines he drew. Yes, they made sense and in theory they should work, but Rube didn’t care about that. All he wanted to do was make his readers laugh.

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Do you ever feel like taking a day off and not going to school? Well, you’re not alone, and Rube Goldberg has some ideas for you too—inventions like a super simple “Surefire Way to Fake Being Sick.” And a goof-proof way to sneak out of your house so you can play outside thanks to the contraption “A No-Nonsense Way to Avoid Nosy Neighbors.” And the invaluable invention “How to Tiptoe Back into the House Without Anyone Noticing.” You see, Rube is no normal kid. For him, up is down, in is out, and the simplest path to accomplishing an everyday task—like reading a book or picking a favorite doughnut—is always more complicated than it needs to be. But that’s what makes Rube’s inventions so much fun. So join Rube for a simple normal and definitely different day off. And follow along as he overcomplicates each and every step he takes— from the time he gets out of bed in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night—all while having some unexpected adventures along the way!

D Want to know what Rube Goldberg is doing on this cover? He’s trying out his latest invention . . .

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Copyright © 2022 Heirs of Rube Goldberg, LLC. Rube Goldberg is a registered trademark of Rube Goldberg, Inc. and is used with permission. Jacket illustrations by Ed Steckley Jacket © 2022 Abrams Books for Young Readers

U.S. $18.99 Can. $23.99 U.K. £13.99 ISBN 978-1-4197-4830-1

E A SIMPLE, EASY WAY TO Cool Off on a Hot Day Rube leaves PEANUTS (A) for elephant. The pleased pachyderm reaches for peanuts with his trunk, making the TREEHOUSE (B) lean forward, pulling ZIPLINE (C) . LADDER (D) tugs SPIGOT (E) , releasing water through the HOSE (F) and turning on the SPRINKLER (G) . As Rube swings around and around on the zipline, he not only cools off, but also waters the lawn (H) —simply and easily.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

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Jennifer George

OTHER RUBE GOLDBERG BOOKS BY ABRAMS

Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines

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ABRAMS

abramsyoungreaders.com @abramskids

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Rube Gold·berg. adjective \rüb-gōl(d)-bərg\: accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply; also: Rube Gold·berg·i·an

Simple Normal Definitely Different Day Off

Follow Jennifer George and Ed Steckley online at jennifergeorge-nyc.com edsteckley.com

GEORGE • STECKLEY

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From Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:

Illustrated by

Ed Steckley

AND FOR YOUR PARENTS

The Art of Rube Goldberg: (A) Inventive (B) Cartoon ( C) Genius

For more information on Rube Goldberg—the man, the cartoons, and the machine contests—visit rubegoldberg.org. REINFORCED BINDING