Those rebels, John and Tom

Barbara Kerley

Book - 2012

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Subjects
Published
New York : Scholastic Press c2012.
Language
English
Main Author
Barbara Kerley (-)
Physical Description
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 32 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780545222686
Contents unavailable.
Review by New York Times Review

Young George Washington, long a bête noire of fibbing schoolchildren with his "cannot tell a lie" pieties, is humanized in this comic account of his early years. The opening spread shows George grabbing his powdered wig as he awakens on his seventh birthday, inadequately feted by his family. At one point a peevish George mutters to his half brother Augustine, "Someday, I'll be the boss of you." Purists may resist Washington as a moody youngster, but McNamara (author of last year's charming "Three Little Pigs" knockoff, "The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot") knows how to win over 6-year-old fans. The only thing they'll resent is no longer getting his birthday off from school. LOOKING AT LINCOLN Written and illustrated by Maira Kalman. 32 pp. Nancy Paulsen Books. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) Based on "In Love With A Lincoln," an online column Kalman ("Fireboat," "Next Stop Grand Central") wrote for The New York Times, this introduction to America's 16th president will inspire children to a similar state of reverence. Kalman's text is marvelously tuned to young readers. "One day he was kicked in the head by a mule," she writes. "Then he woke up and grew up and decided to be a lawyer. (He did like to argue.)" The accompanying paintings alternate between veneration (flags, uniforms, moving portraiture) and whimsy (Lincoln's favorite vanilla cake), enriching this utterly winning tribute. THE CAMPING TRIP THAT CHANGED AMERICA Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks. By Barb Rosenstock. Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. 32 pp. Dial. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 6 to 8) Once upon a time, a Republican president and a California tree-hugger were united in grand purpose. So goes the story of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir's 1903 camping trip, told here with towering sequoias, pre-global-warming glaciers and snowstorm. Gerstein, who won a Caldecott for "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers," knows how to bring a great man's feat to picture-book life, and here he captures the men's vision of natural conservation against the glorious backdrop of what would become part of Yosemite National Park. WORST OF FRIENDS Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the True Story of an American Feud. By Suzanne Tripp Jurmain. Illustrated by Larry Day. 32 pp. Dutton. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 6 to 9) Presidential foibles and feuds are a reliable source of astonished delight for children otherwise taught to revere their founding fathers. Teddy Roosevelt said, for example, that President McKinley "had the backbone of a chocolate éclair." And frenemies Thomas Jefferson and John Adams - "as different as pickles and ice cream" (unless you're pregnant) - make an especially colorful pair. Jurmain and Day offer an early-elementary-school account of the Republican/Federalist divide and a story of friendship surmounting ideological differences. THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM By Barbara Kerley. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. 48 pp. Scholastic. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 7 to 11) Two picture books this season about those amicable opposites, Jefferson and Adams? Could it be nostalgia for the days when political foes would still break bread? Here, for older readers but with a similar blend of caricature and portraiture, historical substance and comieal aside, is the story of how the two men "formed a surprising alliance, committed treason and helped launch a new nation." Fotheringham's cartoonish drawings hold a retro "Schoolhouse Rock" appeal in this rousing account of the friendship before the feud. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.

Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [January 15, 2012]
Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* It is sometimes easy to think of the Founding Fathers as a bunch of interchangeable guys in wigs and weird pants. This fun, energetic double portrait of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson shines a light on how different these two men were from each other. John was brash, argumentative, and as persuasive as a cudgel. Tom was contemplative, shy, and a wicked wielder of the pen. Together, they formed a bond of mutual respect and used their complementary styles to rally a nation behind them. Showing that even the shining beacons of history are complicated figures, Kerley acknowledges the bitter irony that even as Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence and including a provision to prohibit slavery (later taken out by the delegates), he was likely being served tea by his own slave boy. Fotheringham provides page after page of clever, cartoon-style artwork and skillful compositions heavily steeped in reds, whites, and blues that add to the excitement of overthrowing stuffy old King George; an image of Tom skewering the monarch with a giant pen, the newly formed Continental army marching in the background, is especially memorable. A worthy addition to the American history curriculum, this is a terrific book to lead the charge in learning about the Revolution, as well as a lesson in how dedicated cooperation can achieve great ends. An obvious choice to pair with Worst of Friends (below).--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Kerley and Fotheringham, the team behind The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy), cleverly contrast two diverse founding fathers and early presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Entertaining verse and droll illustrations parlay their differences and similarities into a lens through which to view the start of the American Revolution. Initial spreads draw distinctions between lively extrovert John and refined statesman Tom, using parallel contexts. "When [John] wasn't in the courtroom, he planted corn, pruned fruit trees, and chased his chickens and ducks.... When [Tom] wasn't in the courtroom, he maintained his accounts, surveyed his lands, and dined on chicken and duck." A playful tone also is reflected in the typeface, with certain phrases enlarged for shout-out emphasis, and in the caricatured artwork. Skillfully rendered and decidedly modern in a patriotic palette of red, white, blue, and brown, the digitally created scenes mirror and enhance the text's wit (in one illustration, Tom uses a quill pen to spatter an image of King George with ink). A witty and wise portrait of strength being born out of difference. Agent: Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Pat Hackett. Ages 7-11. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were different in looks and temperament, but they shared a devotion to their country. Concentrating on the years 1774-1776, Kerley shows how these two opposite personalities came together to help the Continental Congress reach consensus and produce the Declaration of Independence. More narrowly focused and written for a slightly older audience than Suzanne Tripp Jurmain's excellent Worst of Friends (Dutton, 2011), Those Rebels goes into detail about both men's roles in developing the document. Their presidential years are summarized in an author's note. Well-referenced quotations are incorporated into the text, bringing history to life in a forthright and dynamic manner. The large-scale illustrations are rendered in digital media in a caricature style that suggests political cartoons. Red, white, and blue are the primary colors used, with mustard yellow added for contrast. The endpapers and jacket flaps are cleverly designed with silhouettes to emphasize the physical contrast between the two men. The cover calls to mind Willard's painting The Spirit of '76, with Jefferson bearing an enormous quill rather than a fife or drum. This book succeeds in illuminating a crucial point in American history using an authoritative yet child-friendly approach.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Kerley lightly outlines the commonalities and differences between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. There's some oversimplification (e.g., taxation is mentioned as a problem but not lack of representation), but the text is lively. Fotheringham's lighthearted illustrations, in various shades of red, white, and blue, dominate each page and reinforce the tone. An author's note and facsimile of the Declaration of Independence are included. Bib. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

(Informational picture book. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.