A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin by Michael J. Rosen

A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin Reviews

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  Darla

  Five-star illustrations with a 3-star narrative. It was illuminating to see how Ben, through his attempts to find a trade, became quite skilled in many areas. All of that acquired know-how made the Ben we have admired through history. I most certainly got the point of the story, just thought it was a bit clumsy in the execution. There is a piece of the story where he builds a kite strong enough to pull him through the water. Would have loved to see the kite and lightning story included as well. Would highly recommend this to kids who want to learn more about Ben Franklin.
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  Vera Godley

  Another superb early reader's biography that will promote interest in reading non-fiction books. A Ben of All Trades recounts in prose the young reader will find easy enough to read, well constructed, and informative enough that it will capture their attention providing entertaining education.
  
  This is a retelling of information gleaned from Ben Franklin's own memoirs. While history aptly records the famous and varied life of Mr. Franklin, A Ben of All Trades provides a look at the activities and likes and dislikes that shaped the young Ben. It also, subtly, provides a look at life in general for a young boy of that time in history.
  
  The artistry of Matt Tavares is beautifully done capturing the period and joy and disappointments of young Ben. I love the entire layout of the book and the pleasant, classic sense of illustration.
  
  I highly recommend this book.
  
  I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
• 
  Two Hearts Homeschool

  Library borrow. Had high hopes for this but what a slog to read the narrative. So glad I didn’t buy it
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  Kathryn

  The illustrations and writing style are quite immersive. On one hand, this is a positive as you feel quite transported to the early 1700s New England. On the other hand, the writing style feels a bit advanced for the picture book audience--incorporates some quotes from Franklin himself and some of the conversation style will feel very "old-fashioned" and inscrutable to most children today. I'd suggest instead
  Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention for younger readers, and save this for the older picture book crowd (or young children with patience to listen to lots of explanations during a read-aloud). Still, I like the focus of "A Ben of All Trades" showing the many jobs in which Ben didn't succeed. I felt great sympathy for young Ben being forced into work he found extremely dull and repetitive (I, like Ben, have never been fond of monotony!) and his deep desire to stretch his imagination and create something new really resonated with me. Yet, Ben's many failed ventures at learning a trade were not wasted time, he learned something from each endeavor that he applied later in his self-driven pursuits and inventions. The back matter is good, providing more information on young Ben's life and early inventions, as well as an Illustrator's Note and Bibliography.
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  SaraKat

  Ben Franklin is always a balding old guy in stories. It was nice to see him as a fresh-faced young lad who didn't want to do what his father wanted him to. He was like any kid--obsessed with a life of adventure and doing what he wanted. For Ben, that was being a sailor out on the ocean and not apprenticing to a life of menial labor where every day was the same. I personally think he was overestimating the amount of difference that a sailor would encounter day-to-day. :) The story was fun and interesting and the illustrations were excellent. I think history students of all ages would enjoy finding out some of the history behind this historical figure.
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  Katie Lawrence

  Reinterpreting Franklin's autobiography for a young audience, this is a look at his childhood and struggles finding a trade. There are so many books about Franklin, his interests and inventions. This is certainly a lovely addition with great illustrations too.
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  Karen

  Love listening to the read aloud and watching the illustrations as animations through the hoopla library app!
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  Linda

  Michael Rosen interprets parts of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography through his own re-telling in a special picture book with luscious illustrations by Matt Tavares. Franklin's voracious appetite for learning underlies the story of Franklin as a boy who only dreams of "going to sea". His father continues to say 'no' and Franklin first apprenticed as a joiner, all day on the job sanding wooden pegs that will be used to "join" furniture. They were long, long days. His next 'job' with a shoemaker did not fare much better. Wanting to discover a good fit for his son who loved books made Franklin's father realize that these ideas were not going to work. Franklin did dutifully try, but his father realized that there was little to gain and sent him to his brother's print shop where his accomplishments began to shine.
  During this early childhood story of Franklin, Rosen also includes parts of Franklin's adventures in swimming, He invented paddles that attached to the hands to make the swimming stroke help him go faster. and flew a kite on a windy day allowing it to pull him across the bay. The lessons, the experiences continued to add to his knowledge as he applied that learning to new problems, demonstrating the early wisdom of this very wise man in our history. Tavares uses text panels from antique books surrounded by Colonial-era nautical maps showing Franklin’s interest in books and the sea, creating this story for older readers who may not know some of Franklin's early childhood experiences. It's a fascinating book with both author's and illustrator's notes and a bibliography at the end.
  Thanks to Candlewick Press for the e-copy!
• 
  Margaret

  The fascinating fact about picture book biographies about the same person is each new one makes the person more whole for readers. Each author and each illustrator approach the subject from a different perspective, even if similar information is included. Some picture book biographies focus on the person's entire life, from birth to death, focusing on their choice of accomplishments. Other picture book biographies feature either their childhood, or adulthood. Particular milestones reached by the individual, even a single event, are covered by other titles.
  
  In a new title about Benjamin Franklin, we learn of a collective variety of incidents, contributing to a lifetime of remarkable achievements. In Ben Of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin (Candlewick Press, March 17, 2020) written by Michael J. Rosen with illustrations by Matt Tavares, we become acquainted with a young man who had an intense focus. His repeated attempts to prove a point, enhanced his future more than he could have imagined.
  
  
  My full recommendation:
  https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
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  Debra

  This book on the inventive boyhood of Benjamin Franklin is a 2020 release. Beautiful illustrations and short amounts of info on each page make this a very enjoyable introduction to Ben Franklin. Older children will empathize with Ben as he tries to fit into his father's plan to find him a useful occupation to learn. But Ben's nature does not fit into any mold. Ben is not disobedient and tries hard at each job he is given, but they are all TOO boring. I found it interesting that the story illustrates that each thing that you seem to fail at still gives you information that can use for a future task.
  
  The author is very clear about this story is not based on actual events, but a compilation of facts and stories of Ben growing up. It makes for a very interesting look at Ben as a boy capturing the essence of Ben and allowing you to appreciate him as the boy he was in the time he lived. Hopefully, giving your child the joy of reading biographies.
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  Beth

  Ben dislikes sameness, but his dad wants him to learn a trade. Ben obediently starts in many shops and dislikes all of them, but learns many things that help him with his swimming experiments, which he figures will come in handy if he ever realizes his dream of going to sea. Even his dad has to admit he isn't a complete failure, and the book ends happily with his last assignment to a printing shop, where writing some of his own stuff keeps things fresh and interesting. And he got to make some ocean trips during his career, so his dreams came true.
  
  It's a lovely book, with painted illustrations showing Ben and his siblings at play and Ben at work. The author discusses how he chose to present the information based on what is known and what is a reasonable extrapolation. I always like when kids get a chance to see how history is written and the difference between what they are shown and what is certain.
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  Samantha Mairson-Dougherty

  First impressions: stunning art, don't love the narration. The words are clunky. The spreads are beautiful and the layout clever. The copy gets better as Ben demonstrates his enthusiasm for swimming under his sister's stopwatch. Some of the pages are strange, or made me feel uneasy (e.g. To Swim with Legs Tied). The book's gift to youth is it's demonstration of one boy's journey to find his life work. The glorious process of trial and error! The page where Benjamin (spoiler?) turns out a page from a printing press is wonderful. It is inspiring to learn about the many roles he played. The closing notes and illustration are vibrant and breath life into the story at its close. This book would make for a great cornerstone to any classroom lesson about early American history.
• 
  Amy

  A fascinating look at young Ben Franklin's inventions, his competitive drive and his desire to buck his father's expectations. Ben wants nothing more than to be a sailor, so he takes his swimming lessons to a whole new level. He invents flippers for his hands to create a better stroke, and his sister runs along the shore to time his progress. Beautiful pictures by the talented Matt Tavares take the reader right back to the early days of America. A fun book to supplement an American history lesson, bringing the vibrancy and childlike wonder of a young Ben Franklin to life.
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  emyrose8

  A lot of thought went into making this book, more than meets the eye at first. The detailed author/illustrator's notes in the back shed light on it. All the dialogue is made up, but the book still gives readers a glimpse into Ben's young life, his passions, and his boredoms.
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  Mary Lee

  I love the way young Ben Franklin proves that no learning needs to go wasted. I also admire him for continuing to look for work that would not be boringly repetitive (and his father for putting up with him)!
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  Edward Sullivan

  An engaging look at how Franklin's boyhood shaped his remarkably protean life.
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  Kelly

  If you're expecting a book about Ben Franklin and his inventions, this is not a book for you. But it is still a very good book telling about Franklin's restless childhood.
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  K Morlando

  We really enjoyed reading this book!
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  Orwellka

  Inspirujące motto: "Hide not your Talents, they for Use we made. What's a Sun-Dial in the shade!"