First published 1996
Johnny Chapman walks barefoot through the wilderness, carrying a bag of apple seeds and wearing a tin pot for a hat. He plants orchards wherever he goes, sharing his seeds with pioneer families who need fresh fruit in their new settlements. Wild animals follow him peacefully as he travels from town to town. Some people think Johnny is strange, but children love his stories and settlers welcome his gift of apple trees. Winter storms and long journeys cannot stop Johnny from his mission. He believes every family deserves apples, so he keeps walking and planting across the growing country. Johnny's kindness spreads as far as his apple trees, bringing sweetness to the frontier.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, adventure, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: America, Frontier
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century
32 pages · Hardcover · Grosset & Dunlap