In 1818, seven-year-old Elisha was fascinated by farm machines, especially the hay hoist. when the ropes broke—and they often did—he loved to watch the hay come tumbling down! After he grew up, one of Elisha's jobs was to oversee the construction of a new factory. And he had to find a way to move heavy machinery to the second floor.  Elisha didn't trust the hoisting platform, so he invented a safety break. It was so successful that Elisha wanted to build "people-hoisting machines." The rest is history. 

In 1857, Elisha Otis installed his first successful passenger elevator in a five-story department store in New York City. Before his invention, buildings were never higher than six stories. At last, it was possible to build skyscrapers!

The fourth book in Tundra's Great Idea Series, Going Up! is brought to life by Monica Kulling's playful, informative text and the lively, detailed illustrations of artist David Parkins.

From the dust jacket