Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos 
asked by jan1975 on November 24, 2006 3:31 AM
In A New and Astonishing Life Of Benjamin Franklin As Written by His Good Mouse AMOS, young readers will discover that while the good Mr. Franklin got considerable credit, many of his most important contributions really originated with Amos, a less-than-humble rodent. Oh sure, his manuscript was found by author-editor Robert Lawson and published first in 1939, but discerning readers ever since have figured that it's the mouse who's the fellow with the ... tale. (For ages 10 and up with a sense of humor)
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Somehow Lawson takes a figure who is already rather easy to relate to in Franklin and makes him all that much more approachable through the absurd suggestion that a little mouse had as much to do with the great man as anyone. It's pretty easy to imagine how some of these things might just have happened the way Amos describes them and to imagine that fur hat everywhere in Philadelphia and Paris. Of course, the existence of real Parisian medals depicting Franklin in said hat helps....
reviewed by vern on November 29, 2006 1:59 PM
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This book was pretty good but its not an attention grabber. I had to read this for a school assignment and it wasn't a book that I would normally read. It was boring but educational.
reviewed by willie on November 29, 2006 4:01 PM
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It's easy to love sweet little Amos, the Mouse in Colonial American who befriended Ben Franklin and through him delivered the world its greatest inventions, including electricity.
Walt Disney thought so too and he made "Ben and Me" right after Disneyland opened up. So soon it will be the 50th anniversary of the cartoon. I don't think the cartoon is a feature length film, but I know it's longer than the average Looney Tunes--probably around half an hour. Charlie Ruggles played the dim-witted likable Ben, fussing with his glasses and kindly making Amos little treats. As for Amos, his voice was that of Aterling Holloway whose voice was used in so many Disney movies he was practically an employee at the Mouse Factory.
For Disney, the challenge of animating another mouse (besides Mickey, who had made Walt famous) was immense. It is said that Disney really dug Lawson's story of a mouse who uses his power to make a human famous, for it was his own story in a way.
The book is great for kids and if you like this one, check out MR REVERE AND I, sort of the same story except told by a horse--the horse Paul Revere used on his famous ride that starts out, "Hardly a man is still alive!" Well, as you can imagine from BEN AND ME, that horse has a very different story to tell that Longfellow did! Heartwarming and historic.
Walt Disney thought so too and he made "Ben and Me" right after Disneyland opened up. So soon it will be the 50th anniversary of the cartoon. I don't think the cartoon is a feature length film, but I know it's longer than the average Looney Tunes--probably around half an hour. Charlie Ruggles played the dim-witted likable Ben, fussing with his glasses and kindly making Amos little treats. As for Amos, his voice was that of Aterling Holloway whose voice was used in so many Disney movies he was practically an employee at the Mouse Factory.
For Disney, the challenge of animating another mouse (besides Mickey, who had made Walt famous) was immense. It is said that Disney really dug Lawson's story of a mouse who uses his power to make a human famous, for it was his own story in a way.
The book is great for kids and if you like this one, check out MR REVERE AND I, sort of the same story except told by a horse--the horse Paul Revere used on his famous ride that starts out, "Hardly a man is still alive!" Well, as you can imagine from BEN AND ME, that horse has a very different story to tell that Longfellow did! Heartwarming and historic.
reviewed by librarian on November 29, 2006 4:32 PM
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This is a wonderful historical fiction book. It teaches a lot about Ben. I love this book.
reviewed by jdog on November 29, 2006 6:52 PM
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This was a required reading book for my daughter. I read all required reading to be up on it. It seemed juvenille for her to me, then when I gave it to her she read about 3 pages and said this is stupid.
should be assigned to a 3rd grader...if only they taught them US history at the age it would be more reader friendly for.
should be assigned to a 3rd grader...if only they taught them US history at the age it would be more reader friendly for.
reviewed by runningscared on November 29, 2006 7:37 PM