Hit the Road, Jack

In this delightful picture book, loosely inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, a scat-singing, bebopping jackrabbit travels across the United States and marvels at all the wonders that the country reveals—from hopping on the subway in New York City to playing a jukebox in Chicago, and from gazing at Mount Rushmore to crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Written in the rhythm and spirit of Beat poetry, Hit the Road, Jack is an exuberant story of experiencing all the country has to offer with wide-eyed awe.

Praise for Hit the Road, Jack STARRED REVIEW "It’s not a biography or an introduction to Kerouac’s work; instead, it’s a tribute to his spirit and his era." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"MacDonald’s golden-hued watercolors and pencil crayons present 1940s America as something of a paradise, with the neon diner signs and jazz clubs just as beautiful as the rolling hills and majestic mountains..." —Booklist

"Joining the ranks of such age- and genre-defying picture books.. is this homage to Jack Kerouac." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The book pays homage to Kerouac while encouraging a love of the country, writing and wanderlust through Jack." —Reading Today

"The illustrations look like something out of a 1950s picture book, and everything — the poetry and the drawings — convey a sense of exuberance and excitement.” —Wired's Geek Dad

“Burleigh’s writing has a wonderful rhythm and the book reads aloud beautifully.” —Library Media Connection

© 2013 Abrams Books for Young Readers (Ebook): 9781613124888

Release date

Ebook: January 15, 2013