The story tells how John Chapman became Johnny Appleseed and all of his adventures. It takes the reader from his birth through his death, and the legend he left behind. The setting is in early America and has a patriotic tone. A reader can end the book feeling proud Johnny is part of the American ex... more

The story tells how John Chapman became Johnny Appleseed and all of his adventures. It takes the reader from his birth through his death, and the legend he left behind. The setting is in early America and has a patriotic tone. A reader can end the book feeling proud Johnny is part of the American experience, because the author created such a likable, humble hero. Kellogg’s use of lines in his work is his signature. Every two page is spread is filled with color, texture, and dimension. His vertical lines in the trees help the reader imagine them running out the top of the page. The wide horizons in the mountains and lakes seem to go on forever. The wispy lines representing the winter wind appear crisp and bitter. The apples look so good you just want to bite the page. They are all shades that apples come in and some are as big as softballs in the children’s hands. The colors are a mix of warm, cool, and muted shades. It is apparent when it is winter, summer, spring, and fall. The mixture of colors in the fire puts out a warm glow in the room. The shades of blue and green in the water give the illusion of shallow and deep. Some pages have so much action you can hear the chopping of the axes when you see it.