John, Paul, George & Ben
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 11/19/2017
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 11/19/2017 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I'd released a copy of this book some time back (see it here), and as I'd enjoyed it very much I was pleased to find this copy at a local Savers thrift shop - not least as I can copy my previous comments here:
The book is a humorous look at four - no, make that five - of the Founding Fathers when they were schoolboys: John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson (who's not in the title because "he was always off doing his own thing"). Caution: historical accuracy tends to be sacrificed for the sake of a laugh. You can tell it's going to be an irreverent book; on the dustjacket's flyleaf it says "For the pursuit of readers aged 5 to just plain aged." Ahem!
The illustration style is interesting, resembling old woodcuts or folk-art in a way. [The author also wrote such memorable books as The Stinky Cheese Man, but I find that I like his style in this book better than in that one.] Each of the five lads is shown demonstrating a trait for which he would become famous in later life, but which often seems to cause trouble in the classroom: Hancock's immense signature fills the blackboard, for example, causing the teacher to say "John, you have lovely penmanship. John, your confidence is refreshing. But, John, c'mon.... we don't need to read it from space!" [Remember what I said about historical accuracy? Yep.] Washington's trait is the cannot-tell-a-lie bit, of course, with a very cute kicker after his father tells him how wonderful he is for admitting to chopping down the cherry tree. Franklin is a notorious aphorism-spouter; his comeuppance is fitting, though he manages to get the last word. Paul and Tom? I'll leave theirs as an exercise for the reader.
Having gotten the lads through school, the book segues into their more notorious years: "Say, you want a revolution? Well, John, Paul, George, Ben, and Tom sure did. In April of 1775 they got one." In a couple more pages it presents the lads' adult exploits - and then adds another page of true/false items to indicate which elements of the book were fabricated and which were true. [There are some very funny bits on this page too, so don't skip it!]
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - recommended!
The book is a humorous look at four - no, make that five - of the Founding Fathers when they were schoolboys: John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson (who's not in the title because "he was always off doing his own thing"). Caution: historical accuracy tends to be sacrificed for the sake of a laugh. You can tell it's going to be an irreverent book; on the dustjacket's flyleaf it says "For the pursuit of readers aged 5 to just plain aged." Ahem!
The illustration style is interesting, resembling old woodcuts or folk-art in a way. [The author also wrote such memorable books as The Stinky Cheese Man, but I find that I like his style in this book better than in that one.] Each of the five lads is shown demonstrating a trait for which he would become famous in later life, but which often seems to cause trouble in the classroom: Hancock's immense signature fills the blackboard, for example, causing the teacher to say "John, you have lovely penmanship. John, your confidence is refreshing. But, John, c'mon.... we don't need to read it from space!" [Remember what I said about historical accuracy? Yep.] Washington's trait is the cannot-tell-a-lie bit, of course, with a very cute kicker after his father tells him how wonderful he is for admitting to chopping down the cherry tree. Franklin is a notorious aphorism-spouter; his comeuppance is fitting, though he manages to get the last word. Paul and Tom? I'll leave theirs as an exercise for the reader.
Having gotten the lads through school, the book segues into their more notorious years: "Say, you want a revolution? Well, John, Paul, George, Ben, and Tom sure did. In April of 1775 they got one." In a couple more pages it presents the lads' adult exploits - and then adds another page of true/false items to indicate which elements of the book were fabricated and which were true. [There are some very funny bits on this page too, so don't skip it!]
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - recommended!
Journal Entry 2 by GoryDetails at Post Office - 38 Spring St. in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, December 8, 2017
GoryDetails at Post Office - 38 Spring St. in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, December 8, 2017
Released 6 yrs ago (12/8/2017 UTC) at Post Office - 38 Spring St. in Nashua, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I left this book inside the Hippo free-newspaper box in front of the post office on this chilly day. (Snow's forecast for tomorrow so the post office was even busier than usual for this time of year.) I took a photo of the book with the lovely and touching new mural on Quincy Street, behind the post office - no place to leave a book there, but I wanted to feature at least part of the mural, which includes images from all five of the US armed forces. (The mural is one of a series from Positive Stree Art.)Hope the finder enjoys the book!
[See other recent releases in NH here.]
*** Released for the 2017 What's in a Name release challenge. ***
