Benjamin Franklin by Ingri dAulaire

Benjamin Franklin Reviews

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  Kelly Barker

  We read this as part of Year 1 of Ambleside Online. Great introduction to the life of Benjamin Franklin with very nice illustrations.
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  Rebecca Ray

  Read aloud to my children. They collectively gave it 3.5 stars.
  
  Ellie (6 y.o): I loved it, and I thought the bathtub was really funny. That one little part when he went on a boat was the part I did not like. It was too violent.
  
  Connor (7 y.o.): The reason I didn't I didn't like it was because someone almost drowned, and how are you supposed to get your hair out of the bathtub. I don't understand how you can wash your hair if your head sticks out. I actually like how he worked through the lightning experiment.
  
  Emalee (10 y.o.): Reading it was a good experience to have, I guess. My favorite part is when he bought the whistle and his siblings were making fun. I learned things I never thought I would learn.
  
  Bennett (12 y.o.): This book was amazing. I would definitely give it 5 stars. What I really learned about in this book was how he was a naughty kid at first and then he was better. I really liked that he had sixteen siblings! I didn't know that Benjamin Franklin grew up in Boston. The bathtub was cool. They thought white hair was cool, but it made them look like a really ugly female. I didn't know that he actually did get hit by the lightning (It made me think of Frankenweenie) or made a stove work properly. I also didn't realize that he was an author. I liked the story he told when they were writing the Declaration of Independence.
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  Kathryn

  What a fascinating child, adolescent, and man Benjamin Franklin was. This is a well-written book for a child's first introduction to Benjamin Franklin.
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  Summer

  Great illustrations and a great child appropriate account of his life. The boys really liked it.
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  Emma

  he lead a amazing life
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  Mark

  My son really enjoyed this book. Nicely illustrated with a Franklin adage at bottom of each page. Ingri d'Aulaire children's books can be a little lengthy by today's standards but Benjamin Franklin is well-paced and kept my 4 year olds attention for the entire book. And there is nothing like a tiny tyke advising you that "Early to Bed and Early to Rise makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise."
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  Elise

  I loved reading this book to my girls. This tells Benjamin Franklin's life story in a way that kids can understand. It focuses much on his young life including the conflict with his older brother that eventually forced Benjamin to move away from his family and try to make a life of his own. Franklin faced many, many disappointments in life, but he was resourceful and pressed on.
  
  This book is beautifully illustrated. I especially appreciate the artwork when I think about the lithography process and how many steps went into making each color illustration.
  
  My girls loved this book.
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  Carol Bakker

  4.5 stars
  Having just completed a 800 page biography, I took this juvenile bio off my shelf to compare. I think the D'Aulaires did well reducing the facts of Franklin's life to a child's level. As always, their illustrations shine. The pages have short maxims from Poor Richards at the bottom.
  
  Delightful sentences:
  
  Poor Richard made Benjamin Franklin prosperous.
  
  The Americans thought he was too slow, the English thought he was too sly.
  
  To the French, Benjamin Franklin was the wizard of the American wilderness.
  
• 
  Amy Edwards

  D'Aulaire's biographies are reliably charming. The anecdote about Franklin's conversation with Thomas Jefferson over the editing of the Declaration of Independence, in which Franklin told the story of a hatter's sign and the quibbling over what should be included on his sign, is the subject of the picture book The Hatmaker's Sign, by Candice Fleming. It is fun to read them around the same time. See p. 38 for the story of the hatter.
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  Jennifer

  This is the second book by d'Aulaire that I've read to my children, and they enjoyed this one very much. The story was engaging for them. They did have some prior knowledge of Ben Franklin, about his kite experiment, before we read this book. Their favorite part was when Ben was taking a bubble bath in a tub on a ship. I enjoyed reading his sayings at the bottom of the pages. I would recommend this book as a great starting place for children in K-3rd grades to learn about Benjamin Franklin.
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  Tracy

  I read this with my daughter for school, but was surprised to learn a number of interesting things about one of our most famous statesmen. The illustrations were engaging -- both my daughter and I enjoyed all the small details on each page and the way the illustrator incorporated many of Franklin's sayings from his Poor Richard's Almanac into the pictures on each set of facing pages.
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  Heather

  The boys loved this book. It was always their first choice of which books to read in the day. The information was clear and interesting. The illustrations very d'Aulaire. We enjoyed reading the various sayings of Franklin's listed on each page and trying to figure out what they meant and how one would say them in modern English.
  
  Excellent choice for learning about Benjamin Franklin.
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  Contemplative

  What a great read. Perfect for the early elementary child. We read this along with watching the series Liberty's Kids. We had many great discussions about the pursuit of liberty and why even Plato in his time said it's important to be educated and always ask questions so as not to fall victim to a sheeple mentality. Truth & wisdom that would serve us well even now...
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  Ebookwormy1

  We have been enamored with all the d'Aulaire books and this one on Benjamin Franklin is no exception. Colorful illustrations and lively text illuminate the life of a great American.
  
  Pages alternate between full color and line drawings. We sometimes start by selecting a line drawing for each little to color while the book is read. Otherwise, following along with the pictures is a delight too.
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  Joanna

  Something about this history book for children seemed familiar. I may have seen it as a child. If not I definitely would have appreciated it. Benjamin Franklin has always been one of my favorite people in history. I enjoy the author’s writing and love the illustrations of quotes from Benjamin Franklin.
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  Cindi

  We read the Abraham Lincoln book by the d'Aulaires and were impressed, so we decided to read about Benjamin Franklin too. It was wonderful to read about his part in American history with the kids. Lots of detail!
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  Amber

  I've read this book aloud to my children before and just finished reading it again, this time to the younger ones. I think it's a pretty good introduction to Benjamin Franklin for young ones. We enjoy it.
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  Lmichelleb

  My 6 year old son loved having me read this story aloud to him! Cleverly told tales about our well-known patriot, beautiful illustrations, and the bonus of having many of "Poor Richard's" sayings printed along the bottom of each page!
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  Adrianne

  Our family read this together as part of the Ambleside Online - Charlotte Mason curriculum. We already read George Washington by the same author and LOVED IT! This one also did not disappoint. Buffalo Bill is up on our list next!
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  Cassiejoan

  Another much-loved d'Aulaire book read for history this school year. My kids LOVE these books and really enjoyed this one. They are excited to visit Philadelphia now and very interested in American history. It is a good way to introduce younger kiddos to American independence.
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  Lindy

  Well written. These books receive rave reviews in the homeschool community, but my kids have yet to be enchanted with them.
  
  
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  Christian

  Good book!
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  Meredith Henning

  Another great D'Aulaire!
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  Megan B

  So far, so great. I absolutely love these D'Aulaire books. What treasures.
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  Anna

  Great children's author, beautiful pictures, real history written in a conversational tone perfect for children.
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  Lisa

  All these books are visually beautiful and well written and an excellent introduction to the character