Ben Franklin, His Wit, and Wisdom From A-Z

Ben Franklin, His Wit, and Wisdom From A-Z is an unconventional nonfiction book that alphabetizes facts about Franklin’s life and splices them with the wisdom of Poor Richard’s Almanac. O’Brien employs ink and condensed watercolors in a muted color palette reminiscent of days gone by to create highly textured full-bleed, double-page spreads that are as rich and diverse as the subject himself and serve as a backdrop to vignettes and frames of text. Moreover, the informality of the text’s arrangement--weaving around and dallying with the illustrations--complements and extends the everyday wisdom proffered by Poor Richard’s Almanac. In conclusion, each opening’s wealth of detail encourages the reader to savor the beauty while warring with the subtle use of diagonal lines that urge a forward progression and results in the audience’s internal struggle to linger over the minutiae yet race to the end of this fascinating book.

Ben Franklin, His Wit, and Wisdom From A-Z by Alan Schroeder; illus. by John O’Brien
Intermediate
Holiday House
32 pp.
Published 2011
978-0823419500
$16.95
Alphabet Book

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