Johnny Appleseed: A Poem

This is enjoyable to read and we're happy to own it. Since this is such a timeless tale, we feel it's a must for any library. The artwork is unique and the tale is cleverly written in rhyme. It's thicker than most paperback books this size.

This book was great to read to my class of first graders. The pictures were terrific.

The story of Johnny Appleseed has long been a favorite, cherished legend of the American frontier for generations of young children, and this magical collaboration between poet Lindbergh and illustrator Jakobsen is a sweet and simple way to introduce it. Both poem and illustrations are beautifully simple, lacking all artiface, and are thus wonderfully appropriate for descibing a legend famous for those same qualities. Lindbergh's poem tells Johnny Appleseed's story through the perspective of one woman who observed his odd career over the course of her lifetime. "She saw him first", so the poem goes, when she was just a little girl and he visited her familie's frontier cabin in the woods. All her life, as she grew and with her the country, turning from rough frontier into settled lands, she heard the tales of Johnny's journeys as civilization's ambassador as he spread his gift of apple trees. "She saw him last" as well, when as an old woman she welcomed the aged Johnny at her neat little farm house surounded by apple trees. And she kept alive his legend when he was gone, by telling his stories to her grandchildren every year at apple harvest time. Kathy Jakobsen's wonderful folk art illustrations are the perfect fit for this tale. Her pictures are simple, almost child-like; bursting with vivid color and full of creative energy. There is a full page illustration across from each page of text, which in turn is boardered with illustrations of scenes from Johnny's story. In addition, there are two double paged illustrations; one showing settlers moving into the wild frontier, and the other showing that same land as tamed and settled country, full of apple trees. Jakobsen's brilliant folk art illustrations are what sets this book appart as something truly special, and are the reason that I bought the book. The final page of the book gives a brief history of John Chapman - the man behind the legend of Johnny Appleseed, nicely ballancing history and legend. If you have cherished this gentle legend and wish to introduce it to your children, this book perfectly fills the bill. Theo Logos

My kids and I loved this poem, which we checked out of the library, with an accompanying tape. It so eloquently preserved not only the historical contribution that John Chapman made to our country but also his devotion to God--a part of our country's heritage that is too often forgotten today. The art in this book is simple but rich in detail. We loved it so much that we decided to buy a copy for ourselves!

This book represents Chapman's life with respect and honesty. The brief bio at the end of the book and his poem accurately depicts Chapman's life as missionary and nurseryman. Chapman is shown as a frontiersman who loved the people and not as a tall tale character or eccentric missionary wondering around Ohio. The illustrations by Kathy Jakobsen are well researched and add a greaat deal of information about the pioneer life at the time of Chapman. This book makes an excellent addition to your Johnny Appleseed collection.