Those Rebels, John And Tom (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This book was an excellent approach on teaching children about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The two are considered heroes that put aside all of their many differences (differences clearly defined throughout the duration of the book) to fight for the freedom of the United States of America (American revolution). I really enjoyed this book. This book provided a wide variety of hilarious differences between the two men (John and Tom). This books animation style was another extremely large positive aspect of this book. I really enjoyed how the illustrator of this book portrayed the two men. This book could very easily be used in education. Children could read this book before learning about the men John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Students could pick one of the two men and write a report on the very eventful lives that the men lead. Students could define the differences they find between the two men during their research. Those Rebels, John & Tom, written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham is a fun children’s picture book that tells the kid-friendly version of the story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Throughout the book, John and Tom are continuously compared, and inside of the cover page it reads, “The true story of how one gentleman—short and stout—and another—tall and lean—formed a surprising alliance, committed treason, and helped launch a new nation.” I especially liked how the illustrations in this book are bright and colorful, drawing the reader in, and showing the differences between the two men. The authors make real history fun for children to learn about, and also introduces some new vocabulary that young children may not have heard of yet—such as tyrant, congress, and delegates. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. I would definitely recommend it for older elementary school students though, because I feel like a lot of the content in this book would be hard for a younger student to grasp.
What do You think about Those Rebels, John And Tom (2012)?
Great story. Especially see this to use with compare and contrast writing.
—trane
Good book about the relationship between John Adams And Thomas Jefferson.
—maha
Loved the artwork and the very cleverly written parallels.
—btafere
