The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Seymour, Tres

Jake Johnson: The Story of a Mule

32 pp. | DK Ink/Jackson | March, 1999 | Trade ISBN 0-7894-2563-7 $$15.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington. It looks like Farmer Puckett won't be able to haul the town's Fourth of July fireworks to the fairground this year, because his new mule, Jake Johnson, sat down and won't get up. Illustrated with bright, blocky caricatures, this spirited tall tale features down-home storytelling and colorful characters, including Mrs. Puckett, whose idea to light a fire under that "fool mule" has spectacularly unintended results.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann