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  • Published: 15 February 2017
  • ISBN: 9781770497962
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $14.99

Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine

Great Idea Series




Now in paperback. Meet Frank Zamboni, whose determination and persistence led to his invention of the now-famous Zamboni ice-resurfacing machine.

Now in paperback. Meet Frank Zamboni, whose determination and persistence led to his invention of the now-famous Zamboni ice-resurfacing machine.

When Frank Zamboni, along with his brother and cousin, opened their own skating rink in 1940 in Paramount, California, it could take an hour and a half for a crew to resurface the ice. They had to level the surface by shaving down the pits and grooves with a tractor, remove the shavings, wash the ice and find a way to give the rink its shining finish. Skaters became exasperated with the wait, so Frank was determined to do something about it. Could he turn a ninety-minute job for five men into a ten-minute task for only one? Working in the shed behind his ice rink, Frank drew designs and built models of machines he hoped would do the job. For nine years, he worked on his invention, each model an improvement on the one before. Finally, in 1949, Frank tested the Model A, which "cleaned the ice in one sweep around the rink." The rest is history.

  • Published: 15 February 2017
  • ISBN: 9781770497962
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $14.99

About the author

Monica Kulling

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. She is best known for her books for children. The daughter of philosopher and reformer Amons Bronson Alcott, she was also a supporter of women's rights and an abolitionist. Family debts led her to write the autobiographical novel LITTLE WOMEN (1868). The book was a huge success, followed by LITTLE MEN, AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL, and several other novels.

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Praise for Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine

PRAISE FOR Spic-and-Span!:

"In Spic-and-Span, Monica Kulling tells Gilbreth's life story with warmth and clarity." --The Boston Globe

"This engaging picture-book biography details the many accomplishments of Lillian Gilbreth ... Kulling deftly describes early twentieth-century social, physical, and technical conditions that presented challenges to productivity in both public and private settings, and she explains how Gilbreth's innovations improved conditions, creating context so that young readers can appreciate the extent of her contributions.... Student researchers might also enjoy other titles in the Great Idea series..." --Booklist

PRAISE FOR Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion:

"The text is complemented beautifully with Benoit's artwork rendered in watercolours and gouache. The gentle wash of colours is soft and expressive ... captures the ambience of a time, long ago. Highly Recommended." --CM Magazine

"Renné Benoit's subtle gouache and watercolour illustrations are perfectly attuned...." --The Globe and Mail