How Greenhouses Were Designed

An illustrated inventions story from Wonder Inventions — free to read, with narration.

How Greenhouses Were Designed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Italy. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How Greenhouses Were Designed — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How Greenhouses Were Designed — an illustrated inventions story, set in Italy. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

"Ooh, look at this amethyst, Mama!" Elise exclaimed, holding up a glittering purple crystal. Jia smiled, adjusting her headlamp.
"Ooh, look at this amethyst, Mama!" Elise exclaimed, holding up a glittering purple crystal. Jia smiled, adjusting her headlamp. "Careful, sweetheart, the river's right there!" The gemstone cavern sparkled around them, illuminated by the soft glow of bioluminescent moss clinging to the walls. "I wonder... who figured out how to grow plants without sunlight?" Elise mused, flipping open her worn leather notebook.

"Ooh, look at this amethyst, Mama!" Elise exclaimed, holding up a glittering purple crystal. Jia smiled, adjusting her headlamp. "Careful, sweetheart, the river's right there!" The gemstone cavern sparkled around them, illuminated by the soft glow of bioluminescent moss clinging to the walls. "I wonder... who figured out how to grow plants without sunlight?" Elise mused, flipping open her worn leather notebook.

Page 2

"Hmm, a good question!" Jia responded thoughtfully, pausing to examine a cluster of sparkling geodes. Elise bounced on her toes with excitement.
"Hmm, a good question!" Jia responded thoughtfully, pausing to examine a cluster of sparkling geodes. Elise bounced on her toes with excitement. "My Invention Encyclopedia! It's time!" With a grin, she pulled a thick, leather-bound book from her backpack. As the book opened, a swirl of light filled the cavern, the walls dissolving into a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Hmm, a good question!" Jia responded thoughtfully, pausing to examine a cluster of sparkling geodes. Elise bounced on her toes with excitement. "My Invention Encyclopedia! It's time!" With a grin, she pulled a thick, leather-bound book from her backpack. As the book opened, a swirl of light filled the cavern, the walls dissolving into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Page 3

With a dizzying rush, the swirling light subsided. Elise blinked, her head swimming. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around at the unfamiliar landscape.
With a dizzying rush, the swirling light subsided. Elise blinked, her head swimming. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around at the unfamiliar landscape. Jia placed a reassuring hand on Elise's shoulder. "It looks like... Italy?" Mateo, a lean and athletic 8-year-old male with sun-kissed bronze skin and shaved sides with longer dark curly hair on top, wearing a tunic, leggings, and boots, pointed to a sign: "Florence, 1560!"

With a dizzying rush, the swirling light subsided. Elise blinked, her head swimming. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around at the unfamiliar landscape. Jia placed a reassuring hand on Elise's shoulder. "It looks like... Italy?" Mateo, a lean and athletic 8-year-old male with sun-kissed bronze skin and shaved sides with longer dark curly hair on top, wearing a tunic, leggings, and boots, pointed to a sign: "Florence, 1560!"

Page 4

"It smells like... oranges? And something earthy," Elise wrinkled her nose in confusion. Mateo peered into a walled garden overflowing with plants.
"It smells like... oranges? And something earthy," Elise wrinkled her nose in confusion. Mateo peered into a walled garden overflowing with plants. "And this fellow is trying to grow them indoors!" A man in a long robe was fretting over some wilting herbs inside a glass-walled structure. "'The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way,'" Jia said. "Marcus Aurelius knew what he was talking about, Elise!

"It smells like... oranges? And something earthy," Elise wrinkled her nose in confusion. Mateo peered into a walled garden overflowing with plants. "And this fellow is trying to grow them indoors!" A man in a long robe was fretting over some wilting herbs inside a glass-walled structure. "'The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way,'" Jia said. "Marcus Aurelius knew what he was talking about, Elise! He was a Roman Emperor, and he understood that challenges force us to find new solutions."

Page 5

The man sighed dramatically. "My citrus trees! They suffer so in the winter's chill! I long to taste a lemon in December, but alas..." Elise stepped forward.
The man sighed dramatically. "My citrus trees! They suffer so in the winter's chill! I long to taste a lemon in December, but alas..." Elise stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir? What is this structure you've built?" The man straightened up, his face lighting up with a mixture of pride and frustration. "A secret! A giardino segreto - a secret garden! For growing delicacies year-round!"

The man sighed dramatically. "My citrus trees! They suffer so in the winter's chill! I long to taste a lemon in December, but alas..." Elise stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir? What is this structure you've built?" The man straightened up, his face lighting up with a mixture of pride and frustration. "A secret! A giardino segreto - a secret garden! For growing delicacies year-round!"

Page 6

"It's ingenious, but... these single panes, they lose so much heat! And the roof is slanted wrong. You're only getting direct sun for half the day!" Elise…
"It's ingenious, but... these single panes, they lose so much heat! And the roof is slanted wrong. You're only getting direct sun for half the day!" Elise exclaimed, scribbling furiously in her notebook. The man, whose name was Luca, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And who might you be, little scholar?" Elise grinned. "I'm Elise, and I think I can help!"

"It's ingenious, but... these single panes, they lose so much heat! And the roof is slanted wrong. You're only getting direct sun for half the day!" Elise exclaimed, scribbling furiously in her notebook. The man, whose name was Luca, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And who might you be, little scholar?" Elise grinned. "I'm Elise, and I think I can help!"

Page 7

"See, Luca, you need a steeper roof to capture more of the winter sun, and thicker glass to trap the heat! Double panes would be even better!" Elise explained…
"See, Luca, you need a steeper roof to capture more of the winter sun, and thicker glass to trap the heat! Double panes would be even better!" Elise explained, sketching diagrams in her notebook. Luca stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Double panes... thicker glass... I have heard whispers of such things from Murano! But they are costly!" "Think of the lemons!" Mateo piped up, his eyes gleaming. "Imagine the trade you could have!"

"See, Luca, you need a steeper roof to capture more of the winter sun, and thicker glass to trap the heat! Double panes would be even better!" Elise explained, sketching diagrams in her notebook. Luca stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Double panes... thicker glass... I have heard whispers of such things from Murano! But they are costly!" "Think of the lemons!" Mateo piped up, his eyes gleaming. "Imagine the trade you could have!"

Page 8

Months later, Elise, Jia, and Mateo returned. A grander, sturdier structure stood in the garden, its double-paned glass sparkling in the sun.
Months later, Elise, Jia, and Mateo returned. A grander, sturdier structure stood in the garden, its double-paned glass sparkling in the sun. Inside, lemon trees thrived, laden with fruit. Luca beamed. "Your insights were revolutionary! Now, all of Florence enjoys fresh citrus year-round!" He showed them his account books. "My revenues have increased by 300%! Greenhouse technology spread across Europe because of it."

Months later, Elise, Jia, and Mateo returned. A grander, sturdier structure stood in the garden, its double-paned glass sparkling in the sun. Inside, lemon trees thrived, laden with fruit. Luca beamed. "Your insights were revolutionary! Now, all of Florence enjoys fresh citrus year-round!" He showed them his account books. "My revenues have increased by 300%! Greenhouse technology spread across Europe because of it."

Page 9

Suddenly, the familiar swirl of light enveloped them again. Back in the gemstone cavern, Elise closed her Invention Encyclopedia with a satisfied sigh.
Suddenly, the familiar swirl of light enveloped them again. Back in the gemstone cavern, Elise closed her Invention Encyclopedia with a satisfied sigh. "Greenhouses! All because someone wanted a lemon in December!" she exclaimed. She added some notes to her notebook, a new understanding in her eyes.

Suddenly, the familiar swirl of light enveloped them again. Back in the gemstone cavern, Elise closed her Invention Encyclopedia with a satisfied sigh. "Greenhouses! All because someone wanted a lemon in December!" she exclaimed. She added some notes to her notebook, a new understanding in her eyes.

Page 10

Mateo grinned. "So, thanks to greenhouses, we can eat tomatoes in winter! The global greenhouse market generates 350 billion in revenue a year and employs…
Mateo grinned. "So, thanks to greenhouses, we can eat tomatoes in winter! The global greenhouse market generates 350 billion in revenue a year and employs millions of people worldwide!" Elise smiled. "Imagine, all that from a simple glass box! I wonder what we'll discover next time?" She mused, already flipping through her notebook for another adventure.

Mateo grinned. "So, thanks to greenhouses, we can eat tomatoes in winter! The global greenhouse market generates 350 billion in revenue a year and employs millions of people worldwide!" Elise smiled. "Imagine, all that from a simple glass box! I wonder what we'll discover next time?" She mused, already flipping through her notebook for another adventure.

About this story

  • Location: Italy
  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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