John Deere

History Maker Bios

by Jane Sutcliffe

Biography of the blacksmith who invented a steel plow that could successfully break through the sticky soil of the western prairies.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

I am a kids' nonfiction author, school presenter, reader, library lover, and owner of one very spoiled dog named Willy.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

great, thin bio of deere. well worth the read. trivia - what is deere's connection to sheep? he married two sisters w/the last name of lamb.
sutcliffe is a v. good writer!

[Lauren Smeltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Deere by Jane Sutcliffe was a very interesting biograph, that great for 2nd -4th grade. It is a longer picture book that has short chapters that share a complete explanation about John Deere life. I feel that in this book there is multiple high quality characteristics. For instance, it is a subject worth thinking about, I know for myself I never knew how John Deere became John Deere. All I knew was he was a man whose name was on a tractor. The historical context is provided and accurate. In addition, I feel that the writing style is appealing toward children and will hold their interest. What I like the most was how the illustrations/ photographs interplay with the text. It seems that every paragraph there is an image that helps explains what tis being told which I feel is important for young readers because seeing the image makes it more realistic and life like. Overall this book was great! I loved learning about John Deere and how he was much more than a man name on a tractor. What is very helpful is that at the end of the book there is a timeline, websites and other resources if a child wanted to learn more about John Deere.