Black inventors for kids: 3 true picture books
Kids can meet three Black inventors and builders in true picture books: Madam C. J. Walker, the hair-care entrepreneur; Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the safety hood and a three-position traffic signal; and Patricia Bath, the inventor of the laserphaco cataract probe. Each Tumbly Inventors book is fact-checked against cited sources, written at three reading levels and read aloud.
Madam C. J. Walker
Hair-care entrepreneur · 1867–1919
Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919) was a businesswoman who made hair-care products for Black women. Born Sarah Breedlove in Louisiana, she was the first child in her family born free. She built a factory in Indianapolis and trained thousands of women to sell her products and earn their own money.
The lesson: Solve a real problem, then teach other people to earn from it too.
Read the first pages of “Madam C. J. Walker: The Washtub to the Big Hall” free
Garrett Morgan
Inventor of the safety hood and a three-position traffic signal · 1877–1963
Garrett Morgan (1877–1963) was an American inventor and businessman in Cleveland, Ohio. The son of parents who had been enslaved, he invented a safety hood that let rescuers breathe in smoke and wore it in 1916 to rescue workers trapped in a tunnel under Lake Erie. In 1923 he patented a three-position traffic signal.
The lesson: When you see people in danger, build something that keeps them safe, even when others doubt you.
Patricia Bath
Inventor of the laserphaco cataract probe · 1942–2019
Patricia Bath (1942–2019) was an American eye doctor, laser scientist and inventor from Harlem, New York. She invented the laserphaco probe, a laser tool for removing cataracts, and in 1988 became the first Black woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical invention. She also started community ophthalmology, which brings eye care to people who could not get it.
The lesson: If one door is closed, find another, and keep working until you can help.
Read the first pages of “Patricia Bath and the Light That Helped People See” free
Make a book about any hero
Kids can make a true book about a Black inventor who isn't on the shelf yet. In Tumbly Inventors they can pick Lonnie Johnson (a NASA engineer who invented a famous water blaster) or George Washington Carver (helped farmers grow peanuts and sweet potatoes) from the ideas, or a grown-up can type any real person's name. Tumbly researches, writes, fact-checks, illustrates and narrates the new book in about five minutes.
Read them all in Tumbly Inventors.
True picture books about people who built things, at three reading levels, read aloud with the words lighting up. Finish one to win the hero card.
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Questions parents ask
Who are some famous Black inventors for kids to learn about?
Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919) was a businesswoman who made hair-care products for Black women. Garrett Morgan (1877–1963) was an American inventor and businessman in Cleveland, Ohio. Patricia Bath (1942–2019) was an American eye doctor, laser scientist and inventor from Harlem, New York. Tumbly Inventors has a true picture book about each one, and kids can make one about Lonnie Johnson or George Washington Carver.
What ages are these books for?
Kids 3 to 12. Every book has three reading levels you can switch on any page: Read to me (ages 3–5), Read together (ages 6–8) and I'll read (ages 9–12). A narrator reads each page aloud while the words light up.
Are the stories true?
Yes. Every book starts from a fact sheet where each fact has a source link. Tumbly uses AI to write the story from that sheet, then checks every page against it and rewrites pages that fail before the book opens. Each ready-made book's page on tumbly.ai lists its sources in a timeline.
Can my kid make a book about another Black inventor?
Yes. In Tumbly Inventors they can pick Lonnie Johnson (a NASA engineer who invented a famous water blaster) or George Washington Carver (helped farmers grow peanuts and sweet potatoes) from the ideas, or a grown-up can type any real person's name. Tumbly researches, writes, fact-checks, illustrates and narrates the new book in about five minutes. The free plan includes one new book a month.
Is Tumbly Inventors free?
Yes, to start. The free plan includes every ready-made book and one new book a month, and the first pages of each book are free to read here. Tumbly Family costs $7.99 a month, or $59.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, for ten new books a month. It's a free app on the App Store and Google Play.