Hit the Road, Jack

By Robert Burleigh and Ross Macdonald

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jan 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781613124888

Robert Burleigh

Robert Burleigh was born and raised in Chicago and later attended DePauw University. He has been publishing children's books since the early 1990s. In addition to writing, he paints regularly under the name Burleigh Kronquist and has had his work shown individually and with groups in Chicago, New York, and elsewhere around the United States.

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Reviews for Hit the Road, Jack

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Zip the backpack. Lock the door. Turn out all the lights.”A picture book inspired by Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”, an all-time favorite of mine! In this book, Jack is a rabbit, maybe a jackrabbit? He travels across the USA and sees the country and it's people.I liked the read, and can see it being used to expose younger readers to the Kerouac legend. And the artwork is pretty cool, with a retro old timey vibe to it! I'm definitely adding this to my Kerouac collection!

[melodyreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

jack kerouac's story ... sort of

[esiera1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, “Hit the Road, Jack” is a fun and informative book about traveling across the United States. This book has rhythmic and song-like language. The writing flows and has a nice pace for children. I think some of the language can be convoluted at times. The story is about a jackrabbit that travels across the U.S., hoping from a subway in New York to crossing a bridge in San Francisco. For example, “The road’s your schoolhouse-on-the-move, but now the road winds down. You’re at the blue Pacific – San Francisco town!” I do like the character, Jack, and how the plot is organized. Overall, I think that this story is a quick, enjoyable and quirky read for young children. The big idea of this story is to teach children about adventure, exploration, and about what you can learn from travelling.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loosely inspired by Jack Kerouac's On the Road and the Ray Charles song, Jack the jackrabbit bebops his way across the United States. A charming, delightfully illustrated tribute to the beauty of the country and the restless, travel-loving spirit of Kerouac.