John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children's Book Series) [Hardcover]

Willem Lange (Author), Bert Dodson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Vermont Folklife Center Children's Book Series

Popular North Country yarn-spinner Willem Lange interprets the true tale of a young logger who is saved by his remarkable Morgan horse after an accident in the woods. Luminous watercolors beautifully convey the mutual bond of love and trust between man and animal, while the warmhearted narrative calls out to armchair readers young and old. Concluding activity page. Ages 6-10.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This addition to the Family Heritage Series once again highlights a true tale of north-country life. John, a young logger, and Tom, his dependable Morgan horse, ply their trade in the woods near their home. One cold day, while John is working, an errant tree pins his foot in the snow. "John often said that Tom was the smartest horse in the world" and it's his four-footed companion who saves him from a chilly demise. Tom chews through his tether to reach his master, follows a series of voice commands to haul the fallen tree away, and ferries John safely home to his worried parents. Lange (Tales from the Edge of the Woods) relates this ultimately uplifting tale with all the sturdy simplicity of a wintry Vermont landscape, while Dodson's (Buffalo Thunder) judicious use of color in his spare watercolors (the red of John's jacket against the snow, for instance) and a tight focus on the action heighten the drama. This book and this series as a whole preserves the memories of a bygone way of life. A brief afterword expands on the tale's origins and suggests ways for readers to collect and archive their own family's animal tales. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-An inspiring story of the special bond between a young logger and his faithful workhorse, set in Vermont in the 1950s. On a cold November day, John is pinned down beneath a fallen tree. When Tom hears the young man calling to him, he responds by biting through his rope and following all of his owner's familiar commands until he frees him. The logger and his horse return safely home and John comments to his father, "-I always take a friend. The best friend anybody could ever have!" The realistic illustrations capture the snowy, cold Vermont winter and the special relationship between the animal and the young man. The warm brown tones of the horse and barn, John's soft green and red clothing, and the dramatic close-ups of the accident and rescue support the straightforward text. This story, based on local history, has a homespun, old-fashioned quality that will provide children with insights into a simpler, quieter lifestyle.

Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Vermont Folklife Center; 1st edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916718174
• ISBN-13: 978-0916718176
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, December 29, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (Springfield, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children's Book Series) (Hardcover)

This wonderful story about a boy and his horse shows that special bond that can exist between a person and an animal. The illustrations enhance the story. Our family read an article in the Randolph (Vermont) Herald that tells the real story of John and Tom.