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The Life of Benjamin Franklin: An American Original
The biography of one of America's most important historical figures
Benjamin Franklin is known as a printer, writer, scientist, inventor, and patriot. Franklin helped write the Declaration of Independence, served as a general in the French-Indian War, and held many other luminary positions. In elegant prose and vibrant pictures, Yona Zeldis McDonough and her mother, renowned folk artist Malcah Zeldis, collaborate on the biography of one of America's founding fathers.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Yona Zeldis McDonough
55 books238 followersI live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and many of my novels take place here. But my new novel takes place in New Hampshire, and I have woven into it a historical component: the tragic story of Ruth Blay, who in 1768 was the last woman hanged in the state. When I read about Ruth, I was fascinated and horrified in equal measure, and I knew I had to write about her.
I was educated at Vassar College and Columbia University, where I studied art history. But I started writing fiction in my 20's and never looked back. I am the author of seven novels, 27 books for children and am the editor of two essay collections. I'm also the fiction editor of Lilith Magazine . Please visit my website, http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yzmcdonough; I love to connect with readers everywhere.
I was educated at Vassar College and Columbia University, where I studied art history. But I started writing fiction in my 20's and never looked back. I am the author of seven novels, 27 books for children and am the editor of two essay collections. I'm also the fiction editor of Lilith Magazine . Please visit my website, http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yzmcdonough; I love to connect with readers everywhere.
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April 25, 2016Title: The life of Benjamin Franklin: An American Original
Author: Yona Zeldis Mcdonough
Illustrator: Malcah Zeldis
Genre: Biography (k-2)
Theme(s): War, History, Creation, Family
Opening line/sentence: The two men walked quickly down the street, eyes fixed on the storm clouds overhead.
Brief Book Summary: Ben Franklin had a very eventful life. Throughout his life, he was a painter, writer, scientist, inventor, patriot, and statesman. He had a family, and traveling many times, dealing with problems between different countries. The book goes into a lot of deal about every part of Benjamin Franklin’s life, through the ups and down, strengths and weaknesses.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Jennifer Mattson (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 13))
In the category of longer picture-book nonfiction, McDonough's The Life of Benjamin Franklin targets an audience slightly less sophisticated than Cheryl Harness',The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin (2005), featuring a simpler, more traditional narrative that strikes a curious contrast with its far-from-traditional artwork. After addressing Franklin's formative years, with special attention paid to his stints as Silence DoGood and Poor Richard, McDonough accessibly explains his political career, passing over rhetoric such as "taxation without representation" in favor of more plainspoken formulations: "[The English] taxed them but did not let them vote." Titles for further reading and appendixes collecting Franklin's best-known maxims and inventions conclude. Zeldis' gouache artwork--faux-naif scenes in expressionistic, even garish colors--often seem more appropriate to a book set in Rio during Carnival than one about nascent democracy in eighteenth-century America. Perhaps, though, there is a rationale for this idiosyncratic pairing: the artist's flattened perspectives (particularly striking in her treatment of facial features) are suggestive of self-taught colonial painters, and the vibrating, jam-packed compositions impart something of the colorful personality and unstinting energy of Franklin himself. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2006, Holt, $17.95.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2006.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
McDonough and Zeldis offer a very readable, engrossing introduction to this important figure in American history. They trace his life from childhood through his schooling, his apprenticeship in his brother s print shop, and the start of his writing career. He begins his own printing business, starts a family, writes Poor Richard s Almanack, establishes the country s first lending library, a volunteer fire department, and an academy which becomes the University of Pennsylvania. As postmaster he sets up mail routes. He explores electricity and makes many scientific advances. Politics takes over his life during the Revolution; he travels to France for the cause. He even tries to outlaw slavery before his much-mourned death. Zeldis creates intensely colored gouache paintings in a folk-like style, detailing some of the settings of this rather lengthy biography. She depicts his association with both historic and personal events. We are shown his successful use of lightning rods on town buildings, for example, as well as a full-length portrait of him playing the violin. Also included are a time line of his life, a list of some of his inventions, some sayings from Poor Richard s Almanack, and a bibliography. 2006, Henry Holt and Company, $17.95. Ages 5 to 9.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2006.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews mention the importance of American History and how this books is sophisticated by adding things like taxation. The first review talks about the bright colors of the book and how related to Benjamin Franklin’s colorful personality and energy. The second review points out that the author mentions historical events as well as personal events that happened throughout his life.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book gives many historical facts in a fun and easy-to-read way. It tells the life of a very famous man who did big things in the world way before any of us were born. Many of these facts are things that the students are learning in social studies so this should be a fun book that recalls information about Benjamin Franklin.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
For this book, I would teach the students about timelines and have them create one for all the events in this book. Many of the events in the book has dates, but some of them they have to put an estimation. The student will work in groups on big paper and draw pictures of the different events that they wrote on their timelines.
Author: Yona Zeldis Mcdonough
Illustrator: Malcah Zeldis
Genre: Biography (k-2)
Theme(s): War, History, Creation, Family
Opening line/sentence: The two men walked quickly down the street, eyes fixed on the storm clouds overhead.
Brief Book Summary: Ben Franklin had a very eventful life. Throughout his life, he was a painter, writer, scientist, inventor, patriot, and statesman. He had a family, and traveling many times, dealing with problems between different countries. The book goes into a lot of deal about every part of Benjamin Franklin’s life, through the ups and down, strengths and weaknesses.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Jennifer Mattson (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 13))
In the category of longer picture-book nonfiction, McDonough's The Life of Benjamin Franklin targets an audience slightly less sophisticated than Cheryl Harness',The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin (2005), featuring a simpler, more traditional narrative that strikes a curious contrast with its far-from-traditional artwork. After addressing Franklin's formative years, with special attention paid to his stints as Silence DoGood and Poor Richard, McDonough accessibly explains his political career, passing over rhetoric such as "taxation without representation" in favor of more plainspoken formulations: "[The English] taxed them but did not let them vote." Titles for further reading and appendixes collecting Franklin's best-known maxims and inventions conclude. Zeldis' gouache artwork--faux-naif scenes in expressionistic, even garish colors--often seem more appropriate to a book set in Rio during Carnival than one about nascent democracy in eighteenth-century America. Perhaps, though, there is a rationale for this idiosyncratic pairing: the artist's flattened perspectives (particularly striking in her treatment of facial features) are suggestive of self-taught colonial painters, and the vibrating, jam-packed compositions impart something of the colorful personality and unstinting energy of Franklin himself. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2006, Holt, $17.95.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2006.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
McDonough and Zeldis offer a very readable, engrossing introduction to this important figure in American history. They trace his life from childhood through his schooling, his apprenticeship in his brother s print shop, and the start of his writing career. He begins his own printing business, starts a family, writes Poor Richard s Almanack, establishes the country s first lending library, a volunteer fire department, and an academy which becomes the University of Pennsylvania. As postmaster he sets up mail routes. He explores electricity and makes many scientific advances. Politics takes over his life during the Revolution; he travels to France for the cause. He even tries to outlaw slavery before his much-mourned death. Zeldis creates intensely colored gouache paintings in a folk-like style, detailing some of the settings of this rather lengthy biography. She depicts his association with both historic and personal events. We are shown his successful use of lightning rods on town buildings, for example, as well as a full-length portrait of him playing the violin. Also included are a time line of his life, a list of some of his inventions, some sayings from Poor Richard s Almanack, and a bibliography. 2006, Henry Holt and Company, $17.95. Ages 5 to 9.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2006.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews mention the importance of American History and how this books is sophisticated by adding things like taxation. The first review talks about the bright colors of the book and how related to Benjamin Franklin’s colorful personality and energy. The second review points out that the author mentions historical events as well as personal events that happened throughout his life.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book gives many historical facts in a fun and easy-to-read way. It tells the life of a very famous man who did big things in the world way before any of us were born. Many of these facts are things that the students are learning in social studies so this should be a fun book that recalls information about Benjamin Franklin.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
For this book, I would teach the students about timelines and have them create one for all the events in this book. Many of the events in the book has dates, but some of them they have to put an estimation. The student will work in groups on big paper and draw pictures of the different events that they wrote on their timelines.
November 6, 2007
excellent
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews