The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed [Paperback]

Margaret Hodges (Author), Kimberly Bulcken Root (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

He planted apple seeds to make the country a better place to live.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

No tall tale, this account of eccentric Johnny Chapman, who planted apple seeds far into the unsettled West, is grounded in facts. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4. Hodges's well-shaped, anecdotal account of the legendary Johnny Chapman presents the familiar eccentric wanderer who wore his stewpot on his head and gave away his clothes. The author credits Chapman with carrying more than apple seeds in trekking back and forth between east and west. "Often, Johnny would take a book apart and leave sections in cabins along his way, picking them up on his next visit." Root sets her jacket view of Chapman against glowing red and green apple tones, and her full-page watercolor scenes are lighthearted in tone and detail. Fragments of gold picture frames appearing sporadically around the paintings are an intriguing device. Artistic elements echoing the story appear in pieces of these frames, which fade away, opening the view suggestively. Both text and illustrations imply that the simple story of the itinerant planter, friend to all and given to religious visions, is grounded in truth yet exceeds literal fact. A bit of tongue-in-cheek and a suggestion of tall tale spark the felicitous blend of biography and folklore, which will be widely used and enjoyed. Dates and places of Chapman's birth and death ground the tale, but Hodges cites no sources; her concluding author's note briefly explains the historical milieu of the westward movement.?Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823415090
• ISBN-13: 978-0823415090
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring book, September 14, 2004

By 

P. Ely (Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed (Paperback)

This book begins simply of his life and continues with his journeys as he plants his apple seeds and trees. It tells of his kindnesses to others: children, Indians, animals, the poor. The illustrations enhance the story written by Ms. Hodges. I highly recommend this book as a read aloud to a kindergartener as older children are listening.