Stories about Johnny Appleseed are plentiful. He was a character reputed to have carried apple seeds
and planted apple trees over much of the country. Well, many of those stories
are probably true! Johnny Appleseed was a real person, born John Chapman in
Leominster, Massachusetts, in 1774. Johnny was one of twelve children; he loved
being with his family but he loved wandering in the woods even more. He dreamed
of going west to the frontier and in his early twenties he set out, traveling
with the seasons. He followed Indian trails and lived very simply, but the
winter of 1797 was particularly cold, raw and threatening, so he settled in
Warren, Pennsylvania, building himself a cabin in the spring. That was when
Johnny had a vision of his mission — “to wander about the country planting apple
trees as he went, ‘so that the wilderness might be glad and blossom forth with
fruit.’ ” Johnny was both spiritual and determined, and he took his vision
seriously. In following years he gathered bags and bags of apple seeds from
cider mills, planting his orchards in Pennsylvania and Ohio and always
helping settlers establish their own orchards. After all, you could do anything
with apples, all year round – and they tasted so very good right off the tree! Plus,
springtime brought wonderful blossoms. Johnny was a true eccentric, caring not
at all about his appearance (he wore shabby clothes, crazy hats, and often went
barefoot), but the folks he met described him as unfailingly kind and
generous. Johnny loved to read and enjoyed sharing his books and tales.
Stories told about him grew into legends, some of which may not be wholly true.
What is absolutely true is that he is responsible for the glorious spread of apple trees from Pennsylvania to Indiana; pioneering families with whom he
shared his seeds and saplings carried them further west. In Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend,
Will Moses has crafted a wonderful portrait of this unusual man, combining a
story that reads like an old-fashioned yarn with his bountiful folk-art
paintings. Ages 5-9.
