by Andrea Beaty
What if she made a cat-powered painting pump?
It would need a lot of cats. And milk. It would probably flop. After all, cats always run off or sit around like lazy lumps. How could she get a lazy, lumpy cat to power a painting machine?
Rosie sketched her idea anyhow.
What if she made a Paint Blobber that used a small catapult to chuck balls of paint at the canvas?
What if she combined the two ideas and made a Cat-a-pult? Would the cats like it? What would that look like? Rosie sketched it out.
Rosie had lots of questions. What she did NOT have was time. If she spent too long brainstorming, she would run out of time to make and test the invention. Testing was tricky. She remembered the ketchup explosion and the big mess it—
Wait a minute! thought Rosie.
A new question popped into Rosie’s mind. Could the SnakeAway help? What if it pumped paint instead of ketchup?
Rosie decided that this was a good place to start. The SnakeAway used a small pump from the garden pond. It ran on batteries and was too small, but Rosie could use it to figure out the brushing mechanism. After that, she could figure out how to pump the paint without a battery. Step by step, she would solve this problem.
Rosie smiled.
It was time for the next stage of the process: design!
CHAPTER 9
Brainstorming was Rosie’s favorite part of engineering. But so was design. And research! And making prototypes! And testing!
In truth, Rosie could not pick a favorite part of engineering. That was like picking a favorite cheese. How could a person pick just one? And why would they want to?
Rosie tied up her headscarf. She dumped a pile of engineering treasure on the table next to the broken SnakeAway Model 5 and got working. After three hours, she completed the first model of her new invention: the Paintapalooza 1.
It was funky. It was weird.
But, thought Rosie, it just might work.
She set her easel in the yard and put the Paintapalooza on the ground next to it. She grabbed her goggles and called to Gizmo, who was watching from a tree branch.
“Stay up there!” Rosie yelled.
Gizmo looped the loop, landed on her branch, and chirped.
“Me, too!” said Rosie.
Rosie put on her goggles and filled the tank with red paint. Then she kicked the switch with her toe. A line of red paint snaked through the clear tube and flowed onto the paintbrush. It was working!
Rosie stepped up to the easel, reached out, and—
SNAP!
PFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTT!
The hose broke free! It slashed through the air like an angry cobra, spitting red paint everywhere. Back and forth. Back and forth. Up and around.
Rosie swiped at the hose but could not grab it. Paint sprayed over her dress and onto her face and safety goggles. She couldn’t see where she was going!
Rosie took a step and—
CRACK!
Her foot broke the leg of the easel.
“Whoa!”
Rosie tripped, flipped, and landed on her back with a THUD! The easel teetered then tottered then fell on top of her. CRASH!
She lay on the ground beneath the easel and sighed.
Rosie knew that failing was part of engineering, but she didn’t like it. The Raucous Riveters were counting on her, and she could not let them down.
Rosie shook her head.
“STOP AND THINK!” she said.
Rosie thought about what had gone wrong with the test: The loose tube was easy to fix. Rosie felt a little better. She asked another question: What had gone right with the test? The pump got the paint through the tube. That was a big deal. She was on the right track.
Rosie smiled as the sun hit her painted goggles and they glowed like stained-glass windows.
At least no one saw me, thought Rosie. That was good . . .
And that’s when Rosie heard footsteps.
CHAPTER 10
“Rosie!” said Ada.
Rosie breathed a sigh of relief. It was Ada and Iggy.
“What are you doing?” asked Iggy.
“I’m just thinking,” said Rosie.
“We’ll help!” said Ada.
Ada and Iggy moved the easel and plopped onto the ground next to Rosie. They looked up at the tree and smiled. Just like Rosie, they loved thinking about things. They were full of questions. Bernice was right. They really were Questioneers.
“That tree needs a tree house,” said Iggy, and he thought about how to make one.
“Why do birds live in trees?” asked Ada. “How do birds fly? Can they fly upside down?”
Ada thought about trees and birds and flying and so many other things.
It’s nice to have friends, thought Rosie.
She was glad that her friends had come over. They understood her. They also understood what it was like to get caught up in a project. Ada Twist was a scientist and Iggy Peck was an architect. They always helped one another.
The three friends lay beneath the tree for a long time. Rosie told them about the Raucous Riveters and the Art-a-Go-Go contest. They had some good ideas. It helped Rosie to brainstorm with friends.
Rosie heard a rustle in the bushes. She turned around and looked toward Mrs. Lu’s yard, but no one was there.
“Time to go back to the drawing board,” said Rosie.
Ada looked at the broken easel.
“Time to get a new drawing board,” she said.
“The broken one would make a great chalet for Ada’s cat,” said Iggy.
Iggy was right. Ada’s cat would love a triangle-shaped Swiss house called a chalet. As Iggy and Ada carried away the easel, Gizmo flew down from the tree and rested on Rosie’s shoulder.
“Ready for Paintapalooza 2?” asked Rosie.
Gizmo chirped.
“Yep. This is going to take a lot of paint,” said Rosie. “We’re gonna need a bigger bucket. And more plastic tubing.”
Gizmo chirped again.
“You’re right!” said Rosie. “We need more tape! Lots and lots of tape.”
CHAPTER 11
By bedtime, Rosie had a basic model of the Paintapalooza 2. But she had so much more to do. She needed big painting gloves and a bigger pump June could use without electricity. But Rosie was too tired to keep working.
She went to bed but could not sleep. She was worried. What if she didn’t finish in time? What if the contraption squirted the crowd with paint? What if somebody knocked it over? What if—
“STOP AND THINK!” Rosie said out loud.
Rosie had a great imagination. It made her a great engineer. But sometimes, her What-Ifs got carried away. When that happened, Rosie had to remind herself to stop and think differently. It was a trick that Aunt Rose taught her. It helped her stay on track. And it helped her feel better.
Rosie relaxed and breathed deeply. That was another trick to get calm that she knew. Moonlight spilled into her room and lit her bed with a grayish glow. At last, her eyelids grew heavy and Rosie drifted to—CLIP! SNIP! SCRAPE!
Rosie jumped out of bed and looked out the window. The noises stopped. She strained to see into the dark. Was that a figure in the shadows of Mrs. Lu’s garden? Rosie rubbed her eyes and looked again. She saw only shadows.
The pampas grass glowed dimly in the moonlight and swayed in the cool night breeze. Suddenly, a chill passed over Rosie. She climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
Rosie shook away the image of the shadowy figure and thought about buckets and pumps and painting. Slowly her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Then, at last, Rosie Revere slept.
CHAPTER 12
Rosie woke early and hopped out of bed. The Blue River Creek Festival was one day away, and she still needed a working pump! Rosie went outside. Iggy and Ada were already in the yard, filling small jars with paint and water. They were doing an experiment to find the perfect mixture.
“If it’s too thick, it won’t flow through the tubes
,” said Ada. “If it’s too thin, it will drip off the canvas.”
Rosie went to the patio to get a small table for the Paintapalooza. A big blue bucket sat on the table. It was filled with plastic tubing and waterproof tape.
“Thanks for getting this stuff!” Rosie yelled to her friends.
They were too busy to notice.
As Rosie worked on the pump, Ada and Iggy experimented, and Gizmo chirped from the tree.
Rosie attached thin metal curtain rods from the thrift shop to a giant pair of garden gloves. Then she added the brushes. They were long enough to reach the edges of the canvas. Next she used strings and springs and other things to make a paint-switcher, so June could change colors while she worked.
Ada and Iggy made progress. After two hours, the team had the perfect paint formula and a working set of brush gloves. They had everything EXCEPT a pump.
Rosie was still worried. If she didn’t come up with a pump, the Paintapalooza would flop. But much worse, June’s surprise would be ruined. The Art-a-Go-Go would be a no-go!
Rosie and her friends could not let that happen.
They worked and worked. They tried this, that, and the other thing. As the hours ticked away, so did Rosie’s patience.
“Why don’t we take a break,” asked Ada. “A time-out helps me think better.”
“We need more paint,” said Iggy. “Let’s go get some.”
“You and Ada go,” said Rosie. “I’ll keep working.”
Ada and Iggy grabbed Rosie’s wagon and headed to the Happy Sapling Art Store.
Rosie looked around the yard. It was a mess. The grass was filled with puddles of paint. She turned around and stepped right into a big bucket of blue paint.
SPLOOP!
Blue paint glopped all over her red shoe. Frustration boiled up inside Rosie. She wanted to throw the bucket and the Paintapalooza into the trash can.
“UGH!” shouted Rosie. She kicked her foot to shake off the paint.
ZOOOOOOP!
Rosie’s shoe flew off! It soared through the air and smacked into the tree right next to Gizmo.
Gizmo chirped angrily and flew off.
“I’m sorry, Gizmo!” yelled Rosie.
Rosie chased the bird, leaving a trail of blue footprints as she went. But Gizmo was too fast. Halfway around the block, Rosie gave up.
She was frustrated and frazzled. She couldn’t think straight. But that was exactly what she needed to do.
“STOP AND THINK!” Rosie said.
Rosie plopped down beneath a tree. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It helped. A little.
Ada was right, thought Rosie. I need a break.
Rosie got up and walked down the sidewalk. As she walked, her anger faded, like her blue footprints on the concrete. With each step, the prints were lighter and so was her mood.
She hoped Gizmo would be waiting for her at home. And that’s right where Rosie found her. But she was not alone.
CHAPTER 13
As Rosie turned the corner, a strange droning sound filled the air. Then, someone yelled, “One! Two! A one-two-three-four!”
And then there was music! It was the McCallisters on the bed of a big, old army truck, right in front of Rosie’s house! The droning sound was Heddie on the bagpipes. Betty played the pump organ, and Lettie played the accordion.
The Raucous Riveters danced in the street in front of the truck. They twirled and swirled and jumped to the jive. Rosie’s family and neighbors poured out of their houses and joined in the fun.
The Riveters all sang:
We can rivet, weld, and hammer.
And we do it just fine.
Building ships and planes and trucks on the assembly line.
We can do it! We can do it!
Each and every one.
And we’ll do our part. Right from the start.
Until the job’s done.
Gizmo flew to Rosie, looped the loop, and zoomed back to the organ, where Aunt Rose’s bird, Gadget, tweeted along with the music.
“Hey-hey!” said Aunt Rose when Rosie reached the crowd. “We thought you could use a dance party.”
She tapped her cane along with the music.
“How is it going?” she asked.
“I’m stuck,” said Rosie.
“Dance it off!” said Aunt Rose. “Show us some moves!”
The music was catchy, and before she knew it, Rosie was tapping her foot. Then she was dancing. It was a right raucous time, and for a few minutes, Rosie forgot all about the pump.
Ada and Iggy came back with a wagon full of paint cans. They parked the wagon and jumped into the dance. Each of the kids had their own dance moves. Before long, the Riveters were doing the Skyscraper with Iggy. Ada taught them the Molecule. Rosie had everyone spinning around, doing the Gyroscope.
Rosie had never heard a trio like the McCallister sisters. She especially loved the bagpipes. Heddie blew into a mouthpiece to fill the leather bag. Then she squeezed the bag with her arm. Each squeeze pushed air through the musical pipe. Her fingers danced over the holes and played a jumping, jazzy tune.
Lettie stretched the accordion to suck in air. Then she squeezed it and pressed keys to play notes. Betty stepped on the foot pedal of the organ while her hands flew up and down the keyboard. Each instrument pumped in air and held it until a note was played. How did that work? Why didn’t the air whoosh out of the instruments as soon as the pumping stopped? Something blocked the air from flowing backward.
These questions swirled like music in Rosie’s mind. She didn’t notice that she had stopped dancing. She was thinking. AND she was onto an answer.
Then, suddenly, Rosie Revere knew EXACTLY what she needed! A valve!
For the next hour, the McCallisters played and sang, and Ada, Iggy, and the crowd danced to the swinging music. No one even noticed that Rosie was gone.
The music drifted to Rosie’s backyard, where she worked furiously. She did not notice the faint snipping and clipping noises beyond the hedge keeping time with the music.
Rosie was too busy smiling at the finished Paintapalooza 3 to notice anything at all.
CHAPTER 14
At nine o’clock the next morning, Ada and Iggy showed up at Rosie’s. They loaded the wagon and covered it with a sheet. Then they headed to the Blue River Creek library.
A dozen canvases surrounded the parking lot. Rosie found Aunt Rose, Boss, Marian, and the McCallister sisters in the corner.
“Rosie!” they cheered. “Ada! Iggy!”
Just then, Bernice arrived with a woman in a big floppy hat with casts on her wrists. It had to be June.
“Okay,” said Bernice. “We’re here!”
She took off June’s hat.
“Surprise!” yelled the Riveters.
June looked from face to face in shock.
“What? Why . . .” she started. “What’s going—”
“It’s Art-a-Go-Go time!” said Boss.
June was shocked.
“But I have casts,” she said, raising her arms.
“The Riveters wanted to surprise you,” said Rosie. “So . . . ta-daaaa!”
Ada and Iggy pulled the sheet off the wagon. June looked baffled.
“It’s the Paintapalooza 9!” said Rosie proudly. “It took a few tries, but I think we finally did it.”
June looked even more baffled, but she tried to hide it.
“Well, thank you, dear,” she said. “I always wanted one.”
“What is it?” She whispered to Aunt Rose.
Boss shook her head.
“Oh, you goofball!” she said. “The kids created an invention so you can paint with your arms instead of your hands!”
Tears welled up in June’s eyes.
“I . . .” she said softly, then stopped.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, you Riveters,” she said. “You are the best.”
“And you three!” she said to Rosie and her friends. “I don’t even know what . .
.”
Her voice trailed off as she choked back tears.
Boss cleared her throat loudly.
“Enough of that mushy stuff!” she said with a sniffle. “You know I’m allergic to crying. It makes my eyes water!”
June and the Riveters burst into laughter.
Then, suddenly—SQUEEEEEEEEAK!
A sharp squeal blasted over the loudspeaker.
“Attention!” said a librarian. “Are you ready for Art-a-Go-Go?”
“Go! Go!” the crowd cheered.
June dried her eyes with her sleeve and smiled.
“Yes, I am!” she said.
She smiled at Rosie, Ada, and Iggy.
“Thanks to you,” she said.
The librarian announced, “This year’s theme for the Art-a-Go-Go competition is ‘Home’!”
He blew the whistle again and it was time to go-go!
CHAPTER 15
Rosie set up the Paintapalooza and helped June into the gloves.
“Are they okay?” asked Rosie.
“They’re weird but okay,” said June. “I am ready to paint!”
June stood in front of the blank canvas.
“This is the exciting part,” she said. “I love brainstorming!”
“Me, too!” said Rosie.
June stepped onto the foot pump. Rosie, Ada, and Iggy watched nervously. The Raucous Riveters held their breath.
Pump. Pump. Pump.
Nothing happened.
Pump. Pump. Pump.
Nothing.
Pump. Pump.
Rosie’s heart sank.
Pump.
Suddenly, paint snaked through the tubes. The Paintapalooza worked!
The Riveters cheered and clapped. June gently tapped the red button with her shoe. A glob of red paint squirted onto the red brush. She made a smooth, even stroke on the canvas.
June pushed the blue button and a glob of blue paint squeezed onto the blue brush. She dabbed it onto the canvas and began to paint. The Paintapalooza was working beautifully and June was smiling.