- lovely story of John Chapman’s life and how he came to be known as Johnny Appleseed
- convo: mentions “the white man,” suggests that Johnny’s “spirit” might sometimes “come down from Heaven to tend his trees”*
- illustrations support the text very well
- more historical information in Author’s Note (mentions some maltreatment–both from the Indians and to them)
Type: longer biographical picture book
Ages: 5-10
Author: Margaret Hodges
Illustrator: Kimberly Bulcken Root
Hodges makes such excellent word choices in her books! Her descriptions are unique yet understandable to little ears. “Every spring the blossoms were like white clouds.” The text throughout maintains a simple yet sophisticated vocabulary. If you’re looking for a slightly simpler (and shorter) picture book, I like Kellogg’s (see those book thoughts here).
*This “spirit” comment is right at the end and is what old farmers speculate or perhaps even believe, but it’s undefined beyond that.
I loved the few biblical elements woven in. Hodges describes John’s love of nature and how the Creator made all things good. He also was intentional in spreading good books far and wide, reaching people who lived great distances from their nearest neighbor.
Bible, books, and apple pie–what could be better? Happy reading!