Who Was Johnny Appleseed?

Another children's biography that I read to my son that ended up teaching me about someone I knew little about. John Chapman, Massachusetts born, moved to the frontier to raise apple orchards and sell seeds and seedlings to the pioneers who didn't have time to time raise any apples themselves. Both an eccentric and a genius of self-promotion, Johnny Appleseed left his mark on the American landscape. If there's one downside to this book is that it glosses over the fact that the apples were primarily used to make an alcoholic beverage, something I don't think needs to be hidden from the kids.

In my opinion, this is a great biographical book on John Chapman. Although it is a chapter book, there are many pictures involved to give readers an idea of what the author is describing through her words. I really appreciated how many illustrations were included in the book. Nevertheless, the writing itself was engaging and organized in a manner that drew the readers in. For example, near the end of the biography when the author mentioned the disputes among the settlers, Native Americans, and Englishmen, she talked about how John Chapman saw the settlers and Native Americans as his friends and hated to see them fight. Children may be able to relate this to their own lives when their friends fight. The readers begin to feel connected to show more the story and find more interest in it. I also thought that the way that the author split the chapters was well thought out and helpful. She didn't spend too much time on a topic so the readers didn't get bored with the information. All of the biographical information shared was either to help readers understand something later on in the book or was essential in his life. The pace was not too long and not too short for an elementary student. Their attention shifts quickly, therefore a short biography like this would be perfect for them. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the language that the author used. She portrayed him in an accurate way that gave readers a clear image of what kind of person he was and what his morals were. The way that the author described John Chapman allowed readers to see in their minds and through the illustrations what he looked like at the time. I also enjoyed how the author kept the idea of John Chapman becoming Johnny Appleseed as a repetitive factor throughout the book. John Chapman could have had other aspects about him but the author chose to focus on his journey to becoming Johnny Appleseed. She did this in the slightest way. For example, she related John Chapman being a good man to the phrase "good apple." This term was used to describe a good person and she took advantage of this phrase by using it as a starter to a new chapter. The chapter was about his good habits and helpfulness but kept the author kept the apple theme in the chapter. The big idea of this story is to describe the life of Johnny Appleseed, his impact on the world, and how he remains a legend to this day. show less

I really liked this book in the sense that it was an informational biography, yet an easy read. Despite this being a chapter book, there were many helpful pictures that went along with the factual information about Johnny Appleseed. I especially liked the chapter "A Good Apple." Not only did this teach what this saying means, but this also is a saying that many adults use to explain " a good person." I believe that the children who read this will be able to take that saying and begin using it amongst their peers. I also liked how the author tied up the novel with a timeline of his accomplishments and life events. This serves as a tool to help children recall what they learned about Johnny Appleseed.