John, Paul, George & Ben

by Lane Smith, Lane Smith (Illustrator)

Overview

From New York Times bestselling creator and Caldecott Honor recipient Lane Smith comes a fun story of five little lads before they became five really big Founding Fathers—perfect for patriotic holidays and storytime year round!

Once there were four lads . . . John [Hancock], Paul [Revere], George [Washington], and Ben [Franklin]. Oh yes, there was also Tom [Jefferson], but he was annoyingly independent and hardly ever around. These lads were always getting into trouble for one reason or another. In other words, they took a few . . . liberties. And to be honest, they were not always appreciated. Until one day, they all played a part in securing America's freedom.

"Deftly drawn, witty, and instantly appealing, the illustrations creatively blend period elements such as wood-grain and crackle-glaze texturing, woodcut lines, and formal compositions typical of the era, with gaping mouths and stylized, spiraling eyes typical of modern cartoons." —Booklist

"Exercise your freedom to scoop up this one." —​School Library Journal

Don't miss these other books by Lane Smith:Madam President
The Big Elephant in the Room
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786848935
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/01/2006
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	146,290
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 10.85(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	AD660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lane Smith wrote and illustrated Grandpa Green, which was a 2012 Caldecott Honor book, and It's a Book, which was a New York Timesbestseller has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. His other authored works include the national bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George & Ben, and he has created art for many books including the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, and I'm Just No Good at Rhyming (And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups), among many others. His books have been New York Times Best Illustrated Books on four occasions. In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014, he was the recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Illustrators. Lane and his wife, book designer Molly Leach, live in a rural Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

* "The book closes with 'ye olde True or False section,' as hilarious as it is informative, a wonderful complement to this singular blend of parody and historically accurate events."—Publishers Weekly

"This may serve as an entry point for kids who think that history is dry as dust, and 'Ye Olde True or False Section' really is pretty funny."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

It's time to pay tribute to the Fab Four Founding Fathers: John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Ben "Beat the Liberty Drum" Franklin. Lane Smith's cute history picture book introduces kids to a freedom-loving quartet who loved to stretch the rules.

Gr 2-5-Describing each man in turn as either bold, noisy, honest, clever, or independent, and taking many liberties with the truth, Smith relates how the Founding Fathers of the title-and Jefferson, too-played a part in securing America's freedom. Hancock's penchant for sprawling his name across the chalkboard as a child led to his boldly writing the biggest signature on the Declaration of Independence. Revere's loud voice selling underwear in his shop came in handy when he had to scream "The Redcoats are coming!" Washington's honest admission to chopping down trees led to his serving as president in New York City where there were few forests. Well, you get the idea. The pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations, richly textured with various techniques, add to the fun. Page turns reveal droll surprises such as young bewigged George, axe in hand and already missing some teeth, surveying his felled orchard, or Franklin's rejoinder when the townspeople express their vexation with his clever sayings. Early American typefaces, parchment grounds, and vestiges of 18th-century life, like chamber pots and hoop toys, evoke a sense of the time. A true-and-false section in the back separates fact from fiction. While children will love the off-the-wall humor, there is plenty for adult readers to enjoy, too-the clever fly leaf, puns ("-that bell-ringing took a toll on young Paul"), and more. Exercise your freedom to scoop up this one.-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Despite the Beatles-reminiscent title, this offering concerns itself with not four, but five of the Founding Dads: John (Hancock), Paul (Revere), George (Washington), Ben (Franklin) and Tom (Jefferson). Each is imagined in his youth, identified by one characteristic that becomes key to his involvement in the American Revolution. John is bold, writing his name large on the blackboard; Paul is noisy, bellowing out customers' orders in his family's shop; George is honest, confessing to the chopping down of not only the cherry tree, but the whole orchard; Ben is clever, sharing his aphorisms with all who will listen; and Tom is independent, making a model of Monticello instead of a birdhouse out of "ye olde balsa wood." Smith's faux-antiqued illustrations deliver bucket-loads of zany energy, but his text lacks his sometime partner Jon Scieszka's focus. While there is a hallowed place for irreverence in children's literature, one might wish for a work that more evenly balances humor with substance. Still, this may serve as an entry point for kids who think that history is dry as dust, and "Ye Olde True or False Section" really is pretty funny. (Picture book. 5-9)First printing of 250,000; $250,000 ad/promo

Kirkus Reviews