sandraagee's review
3.0
It's a cool idea, and it's exectured pretty well. I actually really liked the Twain-style language used here. The illustrations just aren't doing it for me though. I find the giant caricitured Huck Finn kind of obnoxious as he distracts heavily from Twain.
5elementknitr's review
4.0
Adorably "written" by Huck Finn. Wonderful art and quite a bit more biographical info than one normally finds in children's versions of biographies.
nerfherder86's review
5.0
It's been a while since I've read [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1274410225s/2956.jpg|1835605], but reading this biography of author Mark Twain as narrated by Huck, I feel like I've just reread that classic. This book is fun! The main points of Mark Twain's life and career are told by the irascible boy himself, in his country folksy dialect, all "I reckon"s and so forth. It's just adorable, and a clever twist on a biography, to have the author's most famous character tell the tale. The illustrations are great too, putting Huck into every scene as he watches Twain go through his life. Great introduction to both Twain and Huck Finn for kids.
tami_provencher's review
4.0
The Adventures of Mark Twain as told by one his most famous characters, Huckleberry Finn, is a brilliant biography. It is in picture book format, making it inviting to elementary grade readers.
Huckleberry Finn narrates his version of Mark Twain’s life in his distinctive voice (for which the authors prepare the reader in a short introduction). Huck immediately establishes a relaxed rapport with his readers by confiding that “this ain’t intendin’ to be no windy bioografy.”[sic] Rather than detracting from the story, Huck’s voice enhances his descriptions.
The book briefly covers Twain’s childhood, the highlights of his writing career including references to Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and his first work The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. It also touches on his marriage, the tragedies of losing one of his daughters and his wife, and his financial ruin near the end of his life. Huck’s account also includes Twain’s name change from the original Samuel Clemens, his opinion of slavery and his relationship to Halley’s Comet. Huck’s ‘editors’ also include a timeline at the conclusion of the book with specific dates.
This is a fantastic way to introduce the topic of biographies in general or of Mark Twain specifically. The format of the book in both words and illustrations makes it remarkably approachable for young readers just beginning to look into the details of the lives of individuals about whom they may have previously learned only a name.
I highly recommend this book for elementary readers. Due to Huck’s unique voice it may actually work better as a read-aloud than an independent reading choice but could absolutely work for both. I look forward to discovering more work by these inventive and talented authors/’editors.’
Huckleberry Finn narrates his version of Mark Twain’s life in his distinctive voice (for which the authors prepare the reader in a short introduction). Huck immediately establishes a relaxed rapport with his readers by confiding that “this ain’t intendin’ to be no windy bioografy.”[sic] Rather than detracting from the story, Huck’s voice enhances his descriptions.
The book briefly covers Twain’s childhood, the highlights of his writing career including references to Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and his first work The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. It also touches on his marriage, the tragedies of losing one of his daughters and his wife, and his financial ruin near the end of his life. Huck’s account also includes Twain’s name change from the original Samuel Clemens, his opinion of slavery and his relationship to Halley’s Comet. Huck’s ‘editors’ also include a timeline at the conclusion of the book with specific dates.
This is a fantastic way to introduce the topic of biographies in general or of Mark Twain specifically. The format of the book in both words and illustrations makes it remarkably approachable for young readers just beginning to look into the details of the lives of individuals about whom they may have previously learned only a name.
I highly recommend this book for elementary readers. Due to Huck’s unique voice it may actually work better as a read-aloud than an independent reading choice but could absolutely work for both. I look forward to discovering more work by these inventive and talented authors/’editors.’
zbayardo's review
5.0
Huck Finn's point of view and voice comes across brilliantly! Absolutely loved it!
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
Subject
Mark Twain (1835-1910), born Samuel Clemens, was an American author and humorist.
Scope
In the voice of Huckleberry Finn, this book tells the story of Samuel Clemens from his being "born excited," to when he was eleven years old and his "Pap up and died." It covers his time as a steamboat captain and his failure at "soldierin'" and "hammerin' rock" during the Civil War that led to his job as a newspaper reporter. Finally, it discusses his marriage, the writing of his books, and the sad end to his life.
About the Illustrations
The illustrations use exaggerated heads and faces to match the fanciful tone of the text. For me, having been to the Mark Twain house for a tour, the most striking thing about the illustrations is how perfectly they capture the building and its character. It was just spot on.
Author's Note
The Editor's Note fills in many of the gaps of the text, including the details and dates that the style of the text proper made it necessary to omit. Unlike the Levi Strauss book's author's note, which basically indicates that the reader has just wasted his time reading nonsense, this note helps make the book useful by supplementing the somewhat silly text.
Additional Comments
This book is clever, but not easy to read due to the heavy dialect. Though any reader could gain an understanding of Mark Twain from the book, it is probably best appreciated by kids who have also read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Mark Twain (1835-1910), born Samuel Clemens, was an American author and humorist.
Scope
In the voice of Huckleberry Finn, this book tells the story of Samuel Clemens from his being "born excited," to when he was eleven years old and his "Pap up and died." It covers his time as a steamboat captain and his failure at "soldierin'" and "hammerin' rock" during the Civil War that led to his job as a newspaper reporter. Finally, it discusses his marriage, the writing of his books, and the sad end to his life.
About the Illustrations
The illustrations use exaggerated heads and faces to match the fanciful tone of the text. For me, having been to the Mark Twain house for a tour, the most striking thing about the illustrations is how perfectly they capture the building and its character. It was just spot on.
Author's Note
The Editor's Note fills in many of the gaps of the text, including the details and dates that the style of the text proper made it necessary to omit. Unlike the Levi Strauss book's author's note, which basically indicates that the reader has just wasted his time reading nonsense, this note helps make the book useful by supplementing the somewhat silly text.
Additional Comments
This book is clever, but not easy to read due to the heavy dialect. Though any reader could gain an understanding of Mark Twain from the book, it is probably best appreciated by kids who have also read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
libscote's review
1.0
I think that this book is only going to appeal to adults. The text, written in dialect, is not going to be an easy read for young kids. I found it hard to follow at times myself! I noticed the professional reviews seem to have a lot of disagreement over what age range this book is appropriate for. Some say 2nd-5th grade, others say ages 10 and up. I can't see a second grader enjoying this book. I think Barbara Kerley's biography that came out last year was much better.
beecheralyson's review
4.0
I enjoyed this re-telling of Mark Twain's life from Huck Finn's perspective.
More...