How Rockets Were Invented

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

How Rockets Were Invented — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How Rockets Were Invented — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How Rockets Were Invented — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

Hana tugged on her mother's parka, her breath misting in the frigid air. "Mom, why do we always come to this frozen place?" she asked, shivering despite her…
Hana tugged on her mother's parka, her breath misting in the frigid air. "Mom, why do we always come to this frozen place?" she asked, shivering despite her layers of clothing. Kaya smiled, pointing towards the distant, snow-covered research station. "Because, Hana, sometimes the most important discoveries are made in the most unlikely places. Come on, let's get inside before we turn into ice sculptures!"

Hana tugged on her mother's parka, her breath misting in the frigid air. "Mom, why do we always come to this frozen place?" she asked, shivering despite her layers of clothing. Kaya smiled, pointing towards the distant, snow-covered research station. "Because, Hana, sometimes the most important discoveries are made in the most unlikely places. Come on, let's get inside before we turn into ice sculptures!"

Page 2

Inside the warm station, Nikolai, an elderly man in his late 60s male, short and energetic, with porcelain skin with pink cheeks and tight curls of dark brown…
Inside the warm station, Nikolai, an elderly man in his late 60s male, short and energetic, with porcelain skin with pink cheeks and tight curls of dark brown hair faded on the sides, greeted them with a mug of hot cocoa. "Welcome, welcome! Kaya, you brought the little explorer again?" he chuckled. Hana, sipping her cocoa, pointed at a sleek, white rocket model on Nikolai's desk. "Nikolai, what's that for? Mom says rockets help us talk to people far away, but how?"

Inside the warm station, Nikolai, an elderly man in his late 60s male, short and energetic, with porcelain skin with pink cheeks and tight curls of dark brown hair faded on the sides, greeted them with a mug of hot cocoa. "Welcome, welcome! Kaya, you brought the little explorer again?" he chuckled. Hana, sipping her cocoa, pointed at a sleek, white rocket model on Nikolai's desk. "Nikolai, what's that for? Mom says rockets help us talk to people far away, but how?"

Page 3

Nikolai chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Ah, rockets! They've come a long way, little one. You know, Hana, they weren't always about communication.
Nikolai chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Ah, rockets! They've come a long way, little one. You know, Hana, they weren't always about communication. People first wanted to use them to shoot firecrackers across the land to scare enemies." Hana furrowed her brow. "Scare enemies? I thought connecting with people was better! Wait a second!" Hana pulled out her worn leather notebook and flipped through the pages, a determined glint in her eyes.

Nikolai chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Ah, rockets! They've come a long way, little one. You know, Hana, they weren't always about communication. People first wanted to use them to shoot firecrackers across the land to scare enemies." Hana furrowed her brow. "Scare enemies? I thought connecting with people was better! Wait a second!" Hana pulled out her worn leather notebook and flipped through the pages, a determined glint in her eyes.

Page 4

"'Connecting changes everything,'" Hana whispered, reading a note she had written earlier. Suddenly, the notebook began to glow!
"'Connecting changes everything,'" Hana whispered, reading a note she had written earlier. Suddenly, the notebook began to glow! Light swirled around her, pulling her away from the station. "Whoa! What's happening?" she exclaimed, clutching her notebook tightly. Nikolai and Kaya watched in astonishment as Hana vanished in a flash of sparkling light.

"'Connecting changes everything,'" Hana whispered, reading a note she had written earlier. Suddenly, the notebook began to glow! Light swirled around her, pulling her away from the station. "Whoa! What's happening?" she exclaimed, clutching her notebook tightly. Nikolai and Kaya watched in astonishment as Hana vanished in a flash of sparkling light.

Page 5

Hana landed with a thump in a dusty workshop. A man with a focused expression was carefully packing a tube with a black powder.
Hana landed with a thump in a dusty workshop. A man with a focused expression was carefully packing a tube with a black powder. "Careful with that, Jackson!" he snapped at another man. "This isn't child's play. This rocket could change the world!" Hana, dusting herself off, approached him cautiously. "Excuse me, sir? Are you...inventing rockets?"

Hana landed with a thump in a dusty workshop. A man with a focused expression was carefully packing a tube with a black powder. "Careful with that, Jackson!" he snapped at another man. "This isn't child's play. This rocket could change the world!" Hana, dusting herself off, approached him cautiously. "Excuse me, sir? Are you...inventing rockets?"

Page 6

The man looked up, surprised. "Indeed I am. I am William Congreve, and I am trying to perfect my military rocket! See, we are going to launch an explosive over…
The man looked up, surprised. "Indeed I am. I am William Congreve, and I am trying to perfect my military rocket! See, we are going to launch an explosive over a long range to hit the enemies' city walls." Hana wrinkled her nose. "But that sounds...destructive! What if you could use rockets to send messages instead? To connect people far apart?" Congreve paused, considering her words. "Well, how do you suppose that would be possible, dear child?"

The man looked up, surprised. "Indeed I am. I am William Congreve, and I am trying to perfect my military rocket! See, we are going to launch an explosive over a long range to hit the enemies' city walls." Hana wrinkled her nose. "But that sounds...destructive! What if you could use rockets to send messages instead? To connect people far apart?" Congreve paused, considering her words. "Well, how do you suppose that would be possible, dear child?"

Page 7

"My mom always says, like Leonardo da Vinci put it, 'Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.'" Hana replied, pointing to the rocket.
"My mom always says, like Leonardo da Vinci put it, 'Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.'" Hana replied, pointing to the rocket. "Maybe if you change what you use the rocket for, you can change the world in a good way instead of a bad way." Congreve stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps... But my rockets are already making an impact. In 1806, we used them to bombard Boulogne, and in 1807, Copenhagen suffered greatly from our rocket fire.

"My mom always says, like Leonardo da Vinci put it, 'Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.'" Hana replied, pointing to the rocket. "Maybe if you change what you use the rocket for, you can change the world in a good way instead of a bad way." Congreve stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps... But my rockets are already making an impact. In 1806, we used them to bombard Boulogne, and in 1807, Copenhagen suffered greatly from our rocket fire. These rockets aren't toys, you know. Each one generates about 200 in revenue!"

Page 8

Suddenly, Jackson cried out, "Sir, the gunpowder is unstable! It's going to explode!" Congreve swore under his breath. He didn't have a container to contain it…
Suddenly, Jackson cried out, "Sir, the gunpowder is unstable! It's going to explode!" Congreve swore under his breath. He didn't have a container to contain it or a safer way to control the explosive materials. Hana remembered something from her notebook. "Wait! Read this!" She held out her notebook, pointing to a diagram: potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal mixture formula.

Suddenly, Jackson cried out, "Sir, the gunpowder is unstable! It's going to explode!" Congreve swore under his breath. He didn't have a container to contain it or a safer way to control the explosive materials. Hana remembered something from her notebook. "Wait! Read this!" She held out her notebook, pointing to a diagram: potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal mixture formula.

Page 9

"My notes say if you grind it to a fine dust, mix it with water, and then let it slowly evaporate to produce large crystal grains, that can prevent such sudden…
"My notes say if you grind it to a fine dust, mix it with water, and then let it slowly evaporate to produce large crystal grains, that can prevent such sudden explosions." Congreve stared at her, amazed. Quickly, he instructed his men to follow Hana's instructions. Soon, a safer, more stable powder was created. "Incredible!" Congreve exclaimed. "You may have just saved us all! Perhaps this rocket technology can bring peace instead of destruction."

"My notes say if you grind it to a fine dust, mix it with water, and then let it slowly evaporate to produce large crystal grains, that can prevent such sudden explosions." Congreve stared at her, amazed. Quickly, he instructed his men to follow Hana's instructions. Soon, a safer, more stable powder was created. "Incredible!" Congreve exclaimed. "You may have just saved us all! Perhaps this rocket technology can bring peace instead of destruction."

Page 10

With another flash, Hana was back in the research station. "Nikolai! Mom! I helped invent safer rockets! Maybe now they can truly connect people!" she…
With another flash, Hana was back in the research station. "Nikolai! Mom! I helped invent safer rockets! Maybe now they can truly connect people!" she exclaimed. Kaya smiled, hugging her tightly. Nikolai nodded, pointing to the modern satellite images on his computer screen. "Indeed, Hana. Today, the global satellite industry generates over 280 billion annually. Those rockets are connecting the world like never before, all thanks to the safer materials we have now."

With another flash, Hana was back in the research station. "Nikolai! Mom! I helped invent safer rockets! Maybe now they can truly connect people!" she exclaimed. Kaya smiled, hugging her tightly. Nikolai nodded, pointing to the modern satellite images on his computer screen. "Indeed, Hana. Today, the global satellite industry generates over 280 billion annually. Those rockets are connecting the world like never before, all thanks to the safer materials we have now."

About this story

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

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