John, Paul, George, & Ben

Written & Illustrated by Lane Smith

Interest Level: K – 2Grade Level Reading Equivalent: 3.5

            In John, Paul, George, and Ben, Lane Smith employs bright, creative illustrations and playful humor to educate children little known facts and common historical tales about the Sons of Liberty, and events leading to American Independence from Britain.

The combination of illustrations and graphics along with variations in print throughout the text add to its playful nature, but in a way that is supportive of the information without distracting from it. Lane begins by describing each of “the four lads,” John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and a fifth, Thomas Jefferson, as children. John, a “bold lad,” with handwriting you could see from space; Paul, a “noisy lad,” partial to ringing bells and with an uncommon talent of projecting his voice; George, an “honest lad” with a tendency to chop down cherry trees; Ben, a “clever lad” known for his endless supply of odd sayings, and Tom, and “independent lad” and a truly free spirited boy.

In each description, the font and illustrations are adapted to agree with the character traits Smith intends to communicate. For example, when describing Paul, the noisy boy with a bell ringing hobby, the words on the page are printed larger and bolder than any others in the text allowing readers to literally see the incredible volume intended. The stylistic and print elements of the text and illustration add to the playful humor of the book, and naturally demand an interactive and emotional read aloud.

The book it is incredibly playful, it still manages to communicate both historically accurate facts and traditional tales about each of the five Sons of Liberty, and effectively incorporates each character description into the development of the American Revolution. The story’s humor and playfulness works to engage students in the historical content of the text without becoming dry or repetitious. John, Paul, George, and Ben could be used as a fun read aloud in the classroom to lead into a discussion of personal backgrounds of each of the Sons of Liberty and traditional tales surrounding the Founding Fathers. However, this would only be effective for students in an appropriate age range, perhaps fourth or fifth graders. Younger children lacking the background knowledge to understand the humor in the text could easily misunderstand some of the elements as historical truths rather than humor or tall tales. The humorous nature of the text that seeks to engage students in its historical context would be lost if not used with a correct, age appropriate audience. It is also important to include “Ye Olde Epilogue,” in a read aloud of the story, as it includes a true and false section that distinguishes sound historical details in the text from fictional elements of humor and debunks some historically inaccurate traditional tales. For example, many historians disagree with the common thought that Paul Revere actually shouted, “The British are coming!” on his midnight right in 1775, because he was British himself. As Smith contends in the Epilogue, it is more likely he would have said, “The Redcoats are coming!” or something similar.  The epilogue and the true and false that follows the story may be overlooked if students read John, Paul, George, and Ben independently, but it is important for children to read as it is an integral component in accurate comprehension of the text.

Connections to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:

Grade 3:

English Language Arts

·         Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

·         Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

·         Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.

Social Studies

·         Explain important political, economic, and military developments leading to and during the American Revolution.

o   The beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord

o   Revolutionary leaders such as John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere

Grade 4:

English Language Arts

·         Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Grade 5:

English Language Arts

·         Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Social Studies

·         Observe and identify details in cartoons, photographs, charts, and graphs relating to a historical narrative.

·         Describe the life and achievements of important leaders during the Revolution and the early years of the United States.

o   John Adams

o   Benjamin Franklin

o   King George III

o   Thomas Jefferson

o   George Washington

·         Identify the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including its date, its primary author (John Adams), and the basic rights it gives to citizens of the Commonwealth.