Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!The Inventive Rube Goldberg
A Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines
Review posted April 17, 2026.
Chronicle Books, 2025. 54 pages.
Review written March 24, 2026, from a library book.
Starred Review
This is a picture book biography of Rube Goldberg, but it's got so much more. You know Rube Goldberg? He was the cartoonist who diagrammed crazily complicated machines to do simple tasks. As a cartoonist, he never built the machines himself, but now on the internet, you can find hundreds of videos of people who actually built machines inspired by his cartoons.
This book tells his story - he went to college and studied engineering to please his father. He didn't last long as an engineer, but looking at patent diagrams gave him the ideas for his famous cartoons.
But the book explains the six simple machines for the reader - the lever, the wheel & axle, the inclined plane, the wedge, the screw, and the pulley. We get explanations of how they work and tips for how they can be used in your own Rube Goldberg inventions.
Back matter tells you what to search for to see modern Rube Goldberg machines in action. The first one I searched, I couldn't help but watch twice. And the main text of the book ends with steps for building your own, one of which is "Embrace Murphy's Law." I foresee kids having a whole lot of fun and creating amazing things, inspired by this book.
One note is that the print is very small throughout the book, and it begins with a Rube Goldberg-like diagram, which is a little tricky to follow and also has fine print. So this book is for upper elementary and middle school kids with good reading skills. Those who persist are sure to have their imagination sparked.