triscuit807's review
2.0
2 stars. Sigh. This author seems to get to passionately attached to her subject matter, e.g. like she did in her book on General Tom Thumb - she just can't distance herself to treat it fairly. John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, is a real person and a folk hero who distributed apple saplings and seeds across the American frontier. Hunt initially does a good job with his youth, but as soon as he begins journeying, her narrative descends into a myriad of stories and tales about him. They tend to be repetitive so that they could be curated down rather than each one being presented. Interesting facts gleaned from the book: he preferred to live the life of a hermit but was a missionary for the Swedenborgian sect and would read his bible to families with whom he sheltered, he was a vegetarian, and he passed freely through native lands. One of the peculiar tales that Hunt includes is one told to Johnny by a hound. It really isn't a biography as the term is understood today. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (52 Wks "from TBR") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1951).
scaifea's review
3.0
This Newbery Honor Book from 1950 is a biography of Johnny Appleseed for kids. It's not bad, but the language hasn't aged well and I suspect it wouldn't go over too well with the kiddos today.
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