# A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin - Hardcover

by **Michael J. Rosen** (Author), **Matt Tavares** (Illustrator)

**A rousing biography from Michael J. Rosen and Matt Tavares reveals how Benjamin Franklin's boyhood shaped his amazingly multifaceted life.**

Young Benjamin Franklin wants to be a sailor, but his father won't hear of it. The other trades he tries -- candle maker, joiner, boot closer, turner -- bore him through and through. Curious and inventive, Ben prefers to read, swim, fly his kite, and fly his kite while swimming. But each time he fails to find a profession, he takes some important bit of knowledge with him. That tendency is exactly what leads him to become the astonishingly versatile genius we remember today. Inspired by _The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,_ Michael J. Rosen's wry tale captures Ben's spirit in evocative yet playful language, while illustrations by Matt Tavares follow Ben from the workbench to the water in vivid detail. A love story to the value of variety, _A Ben of All Trades_ sheds light on an unconventional path to greatness and humanizes a towering figure in American history.

### Author Biography

**Michael J. Rosen** has written or edited more than 135 books for children and adults, including _The Tale of Rescue, The Horse's Haiku,_ and _The Cuckoo's Haiku,_ all illustrated by Stan Fellows; _The Hound Dog's Haiku,_ illustrated by Mary Azarian; and _Chanukah Lights,_ a collaboration with pop-up master Robert Sabuda. Michael J. Rosen lives in the Appalachian foothills of central Ohio.

**Matt Tavares** is the author-illustrator of many books for children, including _Crossing Niagara, Henry Aaron's Dream, There Goes Ted Williams, Becoming Babe Ruth,_ and _Growing Up Pedro._ He also has illustrated books, including _Lady Liberty_ by Doreen Rappaport and _Jubilee!_ by Alicia Potter. Most recently he wrote and illustrated a pair of Christmas stories, _Red and Lulu_ and _Dasher_. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.

**Number of Pages:** 32

**Dimensions:** 0.6 x 11.9 x 9.9 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** March 17, 2020

## Details

- **Price:** 16.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 16.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- A Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin - Hardcover

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