Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman

This is a book about the legend and legacy of John Chapman, aka, Johnny Appleseed. In case you don’t know whom he is, he was a farmer born more than 200 years ago in Massachusetts. He is believed to be the first farmer to start apple tree nurseries in our nation.He became an American legend in his own time because of his kindness, generocity, and most strikingly, the way he lived by example. Chapman used what he had, shared what he had, respected nature, tried to make peace where there was war, and reached his destination by taking small steps. Sadly, during an especially cold winter in 1845, he caught pneumonia and passed away.I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this book since kindergarten, it must become obvious now that I’m a fan of apple-themed books, but also because I was touched by the story of John Chapman, how he lived in a different time and place than ours, and how he was able to change the landscape of our country and bring love and peace to people in need. (reviewed by a 9 year old boy, JLin from NJ)

It’s pretty good but not what I wanted. The pictures are pretty and the story isn’t bad. I didn’t like the suggestion at the end to change the words of a prayer from “Lord” to “earth or world” but that’s a very small part of the book at the end.

Meh. Don't get me wrong, this book has great illustrations and figurative language, for example: "The moon shone on the snow until the land glowed like a pearl." I even like the beginning of the book where the author tells how the past is different from the present and the pictures show a little boy and girl in modern times and then their surroundings and clothing change to the time of John Chapman. I thought that was cool. It is a really pretty book, I just can't get over the spiritual undertones, which make it seem so hokey. "His sweet spirit lives on in the apples we eat..." and there is a little chant at the end of the book you are encouraged to say and you can use the word, "Lord", or "World", or "Earth" interchangeably in it if you wish. It's not terrible, I just can't read it to my kids without feeling silly. We will be using a different book to learn about John Chapman/Johnny Appleseed.

A beautifully written and illustrated book with lots of information

Lovely. As a Thanksgiving present for my Ohio sister who hosts many children for Thanksgiving and has a wonderful collection of kiddie books to engage them, this was perfect. The illustrations are very well done. Nice and colorful, and the transition from the "olden days" to now intrigued our kids. The narrative succeeds in informing the kids without sounding like a text book. I would recommend this highly for any age. The pictures please preschoolers, older kids will read and reread the story, and adults are fond of reading it as a "coffee table" book. Well done!

We absolutely love this book! Such sweet book which relates both fact and legend surrounding Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman. His basic principles for living are a valuable lesson for any child or adult, and my kids love the last page, which shares many ideas for celebrating Johnny Appleseed Day, including apple crafts and a delicious apple pie recipe!

These books I bought to fit into my Benchmark Advance curriculum and worked perfectly in my units.

I'm a Johnny Appleseed fan and it was good to see some attention paid to his Swedenborgian beliefs in addition to his role spreading apples.