Published by Peachtree

This first picture book biography of Erno Rubik,

creator of the Rubik’s Cube, reveals the obsession, imagination, and engineering process behind the creation of a bestselling puzzle that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.

A solitary child, Erno Rubik grew up in post-World War II Hungary obsessed with puzzles, art, nature, and the underlying patterns and structures. He became a professor of art, architecture, and design, who was still fascinated with how objects work together, sometimes becoming greater than their components. In a quest to help his students understand three-dimensional objects and how they move—not to mention a desire to entertain himself—he fashioned a cube whose pieces twisted and turned without breaking, and unexpectedly invented the Rubik's Cube, the most popular puzzle in history, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.

★ "Kramer’s intriguing mixed media and digital-collage illustrations bring playfulness and energy to the fore."

—The Horn Book, Starred Review

“Even readers who find the invention more maddening than “magic” should be captivated by this tale of imagination, tenacity, and a global phenomenon that’s still going strong.”—Publishers Weekly

“A whimsical tribute to the maker of the famous, frustrating, and absorbing puzzle.”—Kirkus Reviews

-2024 Junior Library Guild Selection

-2025 Best Stem Books K-12

-2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List