Curing the World With Chemistry

Perkins Perfect Purple
Written by Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn & Illustrated by Francesca Sanna
Age Level: 6-9 Years
Published October 6, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2020

This is going to be big.

William Henry Perkin accidentally figured out the chemical process for dying things purple when he was attempting to produce a cure for malaria. It sounds frivolous - he didn't save lives, but he invented purple! - but the impacts were in fact life changing and far reaching.

Prior to Perkin's discovery, purple was a color exclusively worn by the elite, and it was nearly impossible to produce. Earlier methods for dying things purple were disgusting, involving snails, bugs, and even urine. At home in his chemistry lab trying to create synthetic quinine to cure malaria, Perkins discovered that he had produced a sludgelike solution. When he dipped a rag into it, the fabric transformed into a rich, royal shade of purple! Perkins quickly patented and mass produced his purple, making the coveted shade (and thousands of other hues) available not just to the rich, but to everyone.

"Slowly and sadly, William prepared to clean his beakers; he worried and wondered about the dark sludge. His scientific training nagged and nudged - perhaps he should go one step further."

Perkin's invention extended far beyond fabrics and did save lives. His dyes enabled scientists to stain bacteria and microbes, leading to the cures for tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. Even more importantly, Perkin invented the scientific method! His methodical, meticulous approach changed the way that other scientists worked, which led to countless advancements and achievements. This book is endlessly fascinating, and you'll never look at purple the same way again.