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11th out of 37 books
—
56 voters
John, Paul, George & Ben
by
Lane Smith
Once there were four lads...
John [Hancock],
Paul [Revere],
George [Washington],
and Ben [Franklin].
Oh yes, there was also Tom [Jefferson], but he was annoyingly independent and hardly ever around.
These lads were always getting into trouble for one reason or another. In other words, they took a few...liberties. And to be honest, they were not always appreciated.
This is the sto...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
April 1st 2006
by Disney-Hyperion
(first published 2006)
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The details are what make this book amazing.
When John Hancock writes his name on the blackboard, all the other signatures of his classmates (Sam, Hooper, Pinn, Oliver, Josiah, etc.) are not only names you would find on the declaration of independence, but each name is written in the correct handwriting for that name. Same goes for Thomas Jefferson's classmates' artwork - "Adam" is signed in the D.O.I. handwriting of John Adams, "Sherm" is Roger Sherman.
Thomas Jefferson ignores instructions to...more
When John Hancock writes his name on the blackboard, all the other signatures of his classmates (Sam, Hooper, Pinn, Oliver, Josiah, etc.) are not only names you would find on the declaration of independence, but each name is written in the correct handwriting for that name. Same goes for Thomas Jefferson's classmates' artwork - "Adam" is signed in the D.O.I. handwriting of John Adams, "Sherm" is Roger Sherman.
Thomas Jefferson ignores instructions to...more
May 10, 2013
DJ Harris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to DJ by:
Xander Harris
My son, Xander, bought this book at school and brought it home somewhat unexpectedly one day. He has always loved politics, and history, so I don't know why I was a bit surprised. Now we've started reading this book with my 4-yr.-old grandson, Gauge. He's still a little young to grasp the concepts, but their never to young to start planting the seeds of patriotism, freedom and liberty.
Excerpt:
"Everyone except that big underwear lady. She was still mad."
That is Gauge's favorite part of the book....more
Historical Fiction
This book is a historical comical story of John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and a little about Thomas Jefferson. John Hancock was described first, he is most known for his signature. His teacher tells John that the signature is too large. Paul Revere was next, they say that he was ringing bells so much as a child, and he was a member at Boston’s Old North Church. He was ringing the bells so much and he heard the bells all day in his head. He i...more
This book is a historical comical story of John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and a little about Thomas Jefferson. John Hancock was described first, he is most known for his signature. His teacher tells John that the signature is too large. Paul Revere was next, they say that he was ringing bells so much as a child, and he was a member at Boston’s Old North Church. He was ringing the bells so much and he heard the bells all day in his head. He i...more
“The Stinky Cheeseman,” “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” and “Glasses, Who Needs 'Em?” These are all the books I have recently read that were illustrated (with one of them written by) Lane Smith. Well, I have recently read Lane Smith's recent book, “John, Paul, George and Ben” which details the lives of American history's greatest figures as children! “John, Paul, George and Ben” is clearly one historical satire that will definitely stand the test of time in the world of children's book...more
2 likes · like · see review
This is a fun book to read in celebrating our founding fathers with your children and one of my kids' favorites. It is obvious from the title (Beatle reference) that the book is full of winks to parents. John Hancock writes his name on the board and his teacher replies, "We don't need to read it from space." Paul Revere shouts out a customer's order for extra large underwear. Most of all, I love hearing my children, ages 7 and 5, quote Ben Franklin from the book, in horrible British accents, "Fi...more
This book takes readers through the progression of five very important men who contributed to American history. It shows them as children and the very things that got them into mischief were the very same things that helped them make a difference in American history. The illustrations are the artistic style of cartoon art and seem to replicate the famous men’s actual adult faces on children’s bodies. The writing style is in question because the writer chose a parody style which goes beyond a chi...more
John, Paul, George, & Ben is a cleverly written book by Lane Smith about John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Smith describes each man as a lad and a quality each possessed (bold, noisy, honest, clever, and independent) and how it was used when they were young. The author shows how each trait has an important and profound effect on our country’s history specifically before, during, and after the Revolutionary War. The cartoon illustrations add to...more
Feb 21, 2013
Tatiana
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Gr. 2-3
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books
Is there anything cuter than a handful of America's Founding Fathers as big-headed children? I think not!
John, Paul, George, and Ben (that is, Hancock, Revere, Washington, and Franklin) is Lane Smith's period parody of the "five little lads" before they grew into their names. The attributes that have defined them through history, such as George's honesty and Ben's witty quotes for every occasion, were more hassle than help to them and others when they were children. My favorite origin connectio...more
John, Paul, George, and Ben (that is, Hancock, Revere, Washington, and Franklin) is Lane Smith's period parody of the "five little lads" before they grew into their names. The attributes that have defined them through history, such as George's honesty and Ben's witty quotes for every occasion, were more hassle than help to them and others when they were children. My favorite origin connectio...more
Nov 13, 2010
Catherine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in American History.
Published 2006.
I really enjoyed my first time reading a Lane Smith book (without the Scieszka collaboration). I have always really liked Smith's unique style of illustrating and thought his great sense of humor was evident in his writing as well. The book intertwines reality and fiction to tell a great tale about America's Founding Fathers! I love this book!
Themes include those we associate with the Founding Fathers: honesty, cleverness and independence.
This is an excellent resource to use with...more
I really enjoyed my first time reading a Lane Smith book (without the Scieszka collaboration). I have always really liked Smith's unique style of illustrating and thought his great sense of humor was evident in his writing as well. The book intertwines reality and fiction to tell a great tale about America's Founding Fathers! I love this book!
Themes include those we associate with the Founding Fathers: honesty, cleverness and independence.
This is an excellent resource to use with...more
This is a picture book I picked up from the local library to do a shared presentation by reading it to some teenagers. I found this book hard to follow as it was read out-loud. You would have to know the history of all four men in order to understand and get a laugh from the words. This is the story of five little lads (Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Revere, and Jefferson) before they became five really big Founding Fathers. They are always getting into trouble whether it be at school or home. T...more
1 like · like · see review
I didn't expect to like this book very much. George Washington is shown on the cover, holding an axe and wearing a traditional colonial-era wig. I just thought the book would be kind of lame and not very factual.
I was very, very wrong.
What I neglected to consider is that this is Lane Smith. He clearly did his history homework and wrote a fun book about historical figures. My only rule would be that this is the kind of book that needs to be read AFTER students learn about the Revolutionary War a...more
I was very, very wrong.
What I neglected to consider is that this is Lane Smith. He clearly did his history homework and wrote a fun book about historical figures. My only rule would be that this is the kind of book that needs to be read AFTER students learn about the Revolutionary War a...more
John, Paul, George, and Ben
Setting: N/A
POV: Narrator
Main Characters: John, Paul, George, Ben
Grade Level: 3.5
Summary: This novel takes some of the characteristics of these prominent figures and puts a funny twist to it. For instance, the novel takes John Hancock and pokes fun at the fact that he writes his signature so big and so nicely. He is depicted as child doing the same thing with his teacher sarcastically praising his work.
Classroom Use: This is great novel to use in class when speaking a...more
Setting: N/A
POV: Narrator
Main Characters: John, Paul, George, Ben
Grade Level: 3.5
Summary: This novel takes some of the characteristics of these prominent figures and puts a funny twist to it. For instance, the novel takes John Hancock and pokes fun at the fact that he writes his signature so big and so nicely. He is depicted as child doing the same thing with his teacher sarcastically praising his work.
Classroom Use: This is great novel to use in class when speaking a...more
I'm not sure how many children will get the Beatles' references (love the title page), but that's ok. The educator in me appreciated the true/false list at the back. But most of all, it's funny.
http://owltellyouaboutit.com/2012/03/03/john-paul-george-ben/
So cute and funny! This is one that I will definitely come back to when I have kids. I think learning is something kids should start doing young. And I don’t think that only applies to reading. Of course, it’s fun to read cute books that make you laugh, but it’s nice to come across one that actually teaches something. This book is educational and fun. It teaches about the founding fathers and the early history of the United States with...more
So cute and funny! This is one that I will definitely come back to when I have kids. I think learning is something kids should start doing young. And I don’t think that only applies to reading. Of course, it’s fun to read cute books that make you laugh, but it’s nice to come across one that actually teaches something. This book is educational and fun. It teaches about the founding fathers and the early history of the United States with...more
This was a hilarious take on young historical figures as kids. This was like taking a time machine and going back in history to find out why these people became who they were. I thought the part with Paul was very funny and gave the impression of why he yelled at the start of the revolution. The pictures also were amazing and slightly over the top which I liked. Lane Smith always gives great big details to his characters that give them a larger then life feel. As a history fan this story took me...more
A fun book that tells entertaining versions of the background of some of the major players in the American Revolution and what they were famous for. At the end it tells the true things that they did and there's also a fun true or false section that goes over what parts of the story were real and what parts were false.
This is a fun book for kids, especially those interested in the American Revolution. It's entertaining and the pictures are fun as well and will keep children laughing while they'r...more
This is a fun book for kids, especially those interested in the American Revolution. It's entertaining and the pictures are fun as well and will keep children laughing while they'r...more
This was a clever way to make historical characters feel more interesting to young children. Although, it is a piece of fiction, kids love the stories of why the characters John Hancock, George Washington, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin became the adults they were. It makes the adult readers wonder about how they really may have been as children. The drawings are done cartoon style and seem exaggerated which only adds to the playfulness of the story. Not only that, author Lane S...more
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: 7 and up
Summary: This children's book shows John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin as children. It is a humorous portrayal of the personality characteristics these famous men in history had as children. The illustrations of the young "lads" are amazing! Some historical facts and a true/false quiz are included at the end of the book.
Reflection: I think this book is a neat way to introduce kids to great men in history. By showin...more
Age: 7 and up
Summary: This children's book shows John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin as children. It is a humorous portrayal of the personality characteristics these famous men in history had as children. The illustrations of the young "lads" are amazing! Some historical facts and a true/false quiz are included at the end of the book.
Reflection: I think this book is a neat way to introduce kids to great men in history. By showin...more
This is a brilliant story about the five men who played critical roles in the birth of our country. John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson are portrayed as young lads. The author gives a little background story for each of the boys then discusses the part they played in establishing the United States. This is a fantastic story to introduce a lesson on the United States and will definitely captivate the students. This is a very creative book and is a...more
I laughed aloud several times while reading this story of the founding fathers as children...
"Before fun was invented, people joined bell-ringing clubs."
"The townsfolk...came up with a saying especially for Ben...'Please shut your big yap!'"
"Mr. Douglas asked the class to make birdhouses by gluing macaroni to ye olde balsa wood."
At the end, Lane Smith includes a page indicating what is true and what is made up in this book. (Surprisingly, the bell-ringing clubs actually existed!)
A fun way to int...more
"Before fun was invented, people joined bell-ringing clubs."
"The townsfolk...came up with a saying especially for Ben...'Please shut your big yap!'"
"Mr. Douglas asked the class to make birdhouses by gluing macaroni to ye olde balsa wood."
At the end, Lane Smith includes a page indicating what is true and what is made up in this book. (Surprisingly, the bell-ringing clubs actually existed!)
A fun way to int...more
Loved it, loved it, loved it! I am a sucker for anything about the American Revolution, and I loved that this book was so accessible to our younger readers. Lane Smith is a name to recognize if you are looking for clever children's picture books. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book as well. The unique combo of history and current (or relatively current) pop culture was cleverly done. I'd recommend this book as a read-aloud perfectly paired with an early american history lesson. And b...more
Hilarious tounge-in-cheek history lesson.
Oct 30, 2012
Meaghan
added it
This a one of my favorite historical fiction books for children. It's loosely about our founding fathers and Paul Revere. It is by the same author that wrote The Stinky Cheese Man. It's absolutely funny and engaging for children. I love the part where Paul Revere is shouting about a woman's extra large under ware because he can't hear well. Children get a kick out of it too.The best part however is at the end there are mini bio's on each of the founding fathers that are actually true and kid's c...more
This book was great to use during the American Revolution unit, and it gave the students a little background on who our founding fathers of this country were as children in a different light. I like how the illustrations used the cartoon style but using the adult faces on children's bodies so the younger ones can still correlate tr characters to the correct person. This humor writing style worked nicely for my fifth graders as the leaned a bit more above about the Sons of Liberty, Declaration of...more
"John, Paul, George, & Ben" is one of the cutest and most clever books I've read in a while! This book depicts some of our nation's most prominent founding fathers as children with such character traits that later attributes to their revolutionary actions as adults. While this story is a fun and comical way of discussing and remembering some of the prominent figures of the American Revolution, students may confuse some of the satire as fact. But the end of the book does include bios and a tr...more
This book is hilarious. The story talks about John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jeffereson. It takes you though their lives as children and how they got where they ended up as adults. Students would LOVE this book because it includes a lot of humor that students would appreciate. This story also shows these important people in history in a different light that students can relate to. I highly recommend this book, especially for the younger grades.
Format: Picture Book
Award: New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book (2006)
Interest Level: K-3rd grade
This is a great book to read aloud. I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh while I was reading. In this story we get to see our founding fathers as young boys. The traits that get them in trouble as young boys are the same traits that help them shape our nation when they were men. At the end of the story is a true/false section, to answer students' questions.
Award: New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book (2006)
Interest Level: K-3rd grade
This is a great book to read aloud. I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh while I was reading. In this story we get to see our founding fathers as young boys. The traits that get them in trouble as young boys are the same traits that help them shape our nation when they were men. At the end of the story is a true/false section, to answer students' questions.
This book is a great introduction to the forefathers of this nation. With humor, it introduces a few of the main men as kids, listing their strengths and weaknesses. It is fiction, but the end has a nice section of historical facts and a mini true-false about the book. I really like this book and will probably purchase it for my classroom teacher, she didn't know what kind of book to share with students about presidents and this may be a good one to get the wheels turning.
There are mixed feelings in attendance with this book.
It is so clever, and I love the way various fonts and text
sizes are used throughout it.
However, the characters, John, Paul, George, and Ben, were actual people,
and I feared, as I read this to my students, that what would stick in their
heads would NOT be the TRUTHful paragraphs describing these real men,
which appear at the end of the book, but all the farce and fiction
which precedes them.
It is so clever, and I love the way various fonts and text
sizes are used throughout it.
However, the characters, John, Paul, George, and Ben, were actual people,
and I feared, as I read this to my students, that what would stick in their
heads would NOT be the TRUTHful paragraphs describing these real men,
which appear at the end of the book, but all the farce and fiction
which precedes them.
"Once there were four lads: John, Paul, George and Ben*
*Make that FIVE lads.
There was independent Tom (always off doing his own thing)."
So begins this hilarious book about the men who founded this nation.
Or as thisbook ages them, the children who founded this nation. Great humor abounds in this book. It even has a true and false section in the back and explains the liberities they've taken in the book. A well thought out, funny romp through the past.
*Make that FIVE lads.
There was independent Tom (always off doing his own thing)."
So begins this hilarious book about the men who founded this nation.
Or as thisbook ages them, the children who founded this nation. Great humor abounds in this book. It even has a true and false section in the back and explains the liberities they've taken in the book. A well thought out, funny romp through the past.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| review | 1 | 8 | May 12, 2010 12:59pm |
Smith was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but moved to Corona, California at a young age. He spent summers in Tulsa, however, and cites experiences there as inspirations for his work, saying that "[o]nce you've seen a 100-foot cement buffalo on top of a donut-stand (sic) in the middle of nowhere, you're never the same."
He studied art in college at the encouragement of his high school art teacher, helping...more
More about Lane Smith...
He studied art in college at the encouragement of his high school art teacher, helping...more
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May 06, 2011 11:41am