Ben Franklin: his wit and wisdom from A to Z

Arranged alphabetically, this entertaining miscellany of information about Benjamin Franklin is studded with quotes and aphorisms from the man himself. Shining light on different facets of Franklin's personality, personal history, and public service, a typical page includes a variety of topics. The double-page spread for A discusses the place of the almanac (and Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack) in colonial America; introduces his mother, Abiah; comments on his apprenticeship in his brother's printing shop; and explains the glass armonica, a musical instrument he invented. The pages that follow explore Franklin's connections to other alphabetically linked ideas, such as store, sally, slavery, and swim or xenophon and xenophile. O'Brien's ink-and-wash artwork fills the pages with attractive, amusing, and often fanciful images of Franklin and his world. Presenting a great deal of information in a format appealing to young children, this handsome book offers an enjoyable introduction to Franklin as an amazingly versatile, accomplished, and original man.--Phelan, Caroly. Copyright 2010 Booklist

Alphabetically arranged, but far more than just an alphabet book, this guide to the life of Ben Franklin covers his upbringing, his prominence in early America, his many inventions, and his beliefs and writings. Given the breadth of Franklin's accomplishments, it shouldn't be surprising that each letter gets more than one word: N stands for newspaper, the New-England Courant (one of Franklin's papers); navigation (tied to his love of ships); and nude ("To his regret, 'air baths' never caught on in colonial America"). O'Brien's ink and watercolor images contribute ample humor, and Schroeder creates a well-rounded, fascinating portrait of an iconic American. Ages 6-10. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 2-5-Facts about Franklin's life and inventions are presented in snippets arranged alphabetically. For example, the "B" page includes information about the man under "Boston," "Bifocals," and "Balloon," while "C" highlights "Constitution," "Contract," and "Chess." Franklin witnessed one of the first hot-air balloon launches, broke his printer's apprentice contract with his brother, and loved to play chess. The format does not result in a chronological time line, and previous knowledge of Franklin is assumed. No sources are listed. The book sports an attractive design, and the ink and condensed watercolor illustrations are full of life. These numerous, mostly small-scale ink drawings are color-filled with pointillistic details offering both charm and humor. Although similar in tone to Rosalyn Schanzer's How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning (HarperCollins, 2003), which is intended for a slightly younger audience and concentrates on the man's inventions, Schroeder's is a fun and informative supplemental resource to be used in conjunction with a straightforward account of Franklin's life.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This alphabetical compendium of revealing and entertaining highlights from the life of our most colorful founding father makes a welcome supplement to standard biographies of Benjamin Franklin. Each spread features a letter or two to initialize significant places (Boston), inventions (lightning rod), accomplishments (library), people (Madame Helvtius), characteristics (frugal), and more. Scores of such familiar details of Franklin's richly varied existence are dramatized in deftly ordered boxes, banners, and balloons arrayed over broader scenes. All are rendered in O'Brien's old-timey pen and ink and brightened with watercolor plus a sometimes fantastical humor that's appropriate to Franklin's own irrepressible spirit. The bits of narrative text are usefully straightforward (with one error: fortunately, Ben was never "electrocuted"); X passes with panache -- this xenophile was also an admirer of Xenophon. Aphorisms recognizable as Poor Richard's are sprinkled throughout (without citation, though these "clever sayings" are mentioned at the outset under "Almanac"). Sensibly, these bits of "wit and wisdom" are keyed to subject rather than alphabet ("T is for Treaty": "Wars are not paid for in wartime, the bill comes later"). Concluding, Poor Richard weighs in one last time: "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." Indeed; and here's a fine place for young history buffs to begin. joanna rudge long (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Two words in the subtitle totally encompass the approach of this highly creative alphabet biographywit and wisdom. Like his subject, Schroeder is inventive; he profiles a major historic figure with amusing alphabetic tidbits that capture the spirit and substance of the man. Who knew that Franklin liked to take daily nude "air baths" (N for Newspaper, Navigation and Nude)? Multiple citations, with definitions, for each letter are boxed and set against a scenic background. The forefront entry for R, for instance, stands for Revolutionary War and is followed by Reading, Resolution and Rod; the illustration that accompanies manages to incorporate all of those elements either literally or metaphorically and add a laugh, to boot. Indeed, the format would be bland without O'Brien's finely drawn lines that humorously detail the scenes. He comically tucks adages in small banners here and there, such as: "Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it" and "Either write something worth reading or do things worth writing." From A for Almanac to Q for Quaker to Z for Zeal and back to A for American, this robust representation IS witty and wise. Using the alphabet as a device for informing and amusing continues to be a favorite with authors and illustrators, and Schroeder and O'Brien have set a new standard. Outstanding.(Alphabet biography. 6-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Arranged alphabetically, this entertaining miscellany of information about Benjamin Franklin is studded with quotes and aphorisms from the man himself. Shining light on different facets of Franklin's personality, personal history, and public service, a typical page includes a variety of topics. The double-page spread for A discusses the place of the almanac (and Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack) in colonial America; introduces his mother, Abiah; comments on his apprenticeship in his brother's printing shop; and explains the glass armonica, a musical instrument he invented. The pages that follow explore Franklin's connections to other alphabetically linked ideas, such as store, sally, slavery, and swim or xenophon and xenophile. O'Brien's ink-and-wash artwork fills the pages with attractive, amusing, and often fanciful images of Franklin and his world. Presenting a great deal of information in a format appealing to young children, this handsome book offers an enjoyable introduction to Franklin as an amazingly versatile, accomplished, and original man. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

Alphabetically arranged, but far more than just an alphabet book, this guide to the life of Ben Franklin covers his upbringing, his prominence in early America, his many inventions, and his beliefs and writings. Given the breadth of Franklin's accomplishments, it shouldn't be surprising that each letter gets more than one word: N stands for newspaper, the New-England Courant (one of Franklin's papers); navigation (tied to his love of ships); and nude ("To his regret, ‘air baths' never caught on in colonial America"). O'Brien's ink and watercolor images contribute ample humor, and Schroeder creates a well-rounded, fascinating portrait of an iconic American. Ages 6–10. (Apr.)

Gr 2–5—Facts about Franklin's life and inventions are presented in snippets arranged alphabetically. For example, the "B" page includes information about the man under "Boston," "Bifocals," and "Balloon," while "C" highlights "Constitution," "Contract," and "Chess." Franklin witnessed one of the first hot-air balloon launches, broke his printer's apprentice contract with his brother, and loved to play chess. The format does not result in a chronological time line, and previous knowledge of Franklin is assumed. No sources are listed. The book sports an attractive design, and the ink and condensed watercolor illustrations are full of life. These numerous, mostly small-scale ink drawings are color-filled with pointillistic details offering both charm and humor. Although similar in tone to Rosalyn Schanzer's How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning (HarperCollins, 2003), which is intended for a slightly younger audience and concentrates on the man's inventions, Schroeder's is a fun and informative supplemental resource to be used in conjunction with a straightforward account of Franklin's life.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA