The story of sweet success behind the Hershey's Kiss! The invention of America's quintessential milk chocolate bar is brought to vivid, delicious life in this STEAM picture book biography perfect for fans of Mr. Ferris and His Wheel and Snowflake Bentley.

Hershey’s milk chocolate is the quintessential American chocolate bar. But in Milton Hershey’s time, chocolate was mostly a special treat for the very wealthy. Milton grew up poor and was no stranger to going hungry. When he got a job washing dishes in an ice cream parlor, he realized how happy sweets made people–and how much he liked making people happy.

Over the course of his career, Hershey failed to make many businesses profitable, yet ultimately cracked the formula on milk chocolate. Here was a chocolate that was delicious, didn’t spoil, and could be sold at an affordable price in communities across America and the world. And here was a business that could provide good lives in a welcoming town and an education for those who couldn’t afford it.

Perfect for the chocolate lover, inventor, and science-experiment-obsessed childhood reader, this biography shows that perseverance and persistence can lead to sweet success. 

praise for

"Cohen’s rags-to-riches biography of Milton Hershey (1857–1945), America’s real-life Willy Wonka, is tightly and evocatively told, interweaving lessons of persistence and corporate philanthropy...Succinct, fact-filled prose detailing Hershey’s life pairs well with Salerno’s old-timey digital, gouache-textured drawings."

-PW Weekly

"The tale of a real-life Willy Wonka who brought milk chocolate to the masses...A tasty treat that’s informative to boot."

-Kirkus Reviews

"Small text boxes throughout add interesting historical context while double-page illustrations that blend detailed fine lines, retro touches, and candy colors are a tasty treat...This high-interest biography also serves as a scrumptious STEM selection."

-Booklist