The Story of Car Engineer Soichiro Honda

The ＂Story＂ chapter-book line debuts with this compelling biography of Soichiro Honda, the innovative motorcycle and car manufacturer and Japanese business pioneer.

When Soichiro Honda was seven years old, an astonishing, moving dust cloud appeared in his small Japanese town. The cause was a leaky, noisy machine called an automobile--the first Honda had ever seen. At that moment he fell in love with cars, and a dream took hold: He would one day make them himself.

It took Honda many years to reach his goal. In the process he became an expert mechanic and manufacturer of car parts. After World War II he developed a motorized bicycle, the forerunner of his innovative motorcycles. Eventually Honda began manufacturing first racecars and then consumer cars. He constantly sought new ways to make his products better and cheaper than his competitors’.

Soichiro Honda had an inventive mind and a passion for new ideas. A legendary figure in the world of manufacturing, Honda remains a dynamic symbol of determination, creativity, and the power of a dream. This new chapter book includes black-and-white illustrations as well as sidebars on related subjects, a timeline, a glossary, and recommended reading.

MARK WESTON was inspired to write a children’s book about Soichiro Honda after the extensive research he did for his highly praised adult book about pioneering men and women of Japan, called Giants of Japan. A former attorney, journalist, and Jeopardy! champion, Weston is now a full-time writer. He lives with his wife in Sarasota, Florida. Katie Yamasaki is an illustrator, author, muralist, fine artist, and teaching artist. Growing up in the ＂car culture＂ of Detroit, Yamasaki had an immediate connection to Honda’s story. Yamasaki comes from a huge, diverse family that is full of (among many other things) artists and teachers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.