Book Love: John, Paul, George & Ben

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite children's books, "John, Paul, George Ben." For those who think children's books are just for, well, children, you have obviously never been held captive by a four year old demanding a series of dramatic readings before she blesses you with bed time! For all those mamas and daddies who ever approached a busting bookshelf and secretly schemed "tonight we're gonna read my favorite..." well, here's one to add to your list:

"John, Paul, George, and Ben" (plus a rouge Tom) follows the silly childhood antics of five precocious little boys in colonial America. You probably know them and John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Each little boy has a silly habit or does some silly thing that we learn, ultimately, helps them become what made them special during the American Revolution and founding of our nation.

This book was written and illustrated by author/illustrator Lane Smith, who has written and/or illustrated several amazing children's books.

What makes this little book so fun to read is the tightly written comical stories that blend so well with the beautifully drawn illustrations that only enhance the comedy of the story. And yes, there are some slight Beatles references ;) (John, Paul, George...you know those guys!)

And although there is mch to love about this book, I think what I personally love most is the way Smith has taken the idea of Early American folk art and traditional 18th century illustration and given it his own twist and created a world that is once unique to his personal style but at the same time so very familiar.

This book is also special to me because years ago when it came out (2006) I was able to interview Lane Smith about it because he's something of a 'local boy' with his parents living in the area. In fact, I first reviewed it off a copy lent to me by his mom ;)

He was gracious enough to let me use images of his book here for your enjoyment, because I knew you would love it! Art lovers, history lovers, comedy lovers....it's got something that will entertain just about any discerning four year old and her very weary reading parent ;)

You can find a copy of this book at your nearest bookstore (Locals, I found several copies of this at Books A Million) or online. For more information about Lane Smith and his latest projects, you can visit his website, HERE.

Enjoy! And have yourself a little revolution!~

*Images used in this post copyright Lane Smith, Hyperion Books For Children