Henry Works
PreSchool-Grade 3–In his fourth and finest story about a bear modeled after Henry David Thoreau, Johnson successfully conveys the writer's idea of "real work." In the morning, Henry steps outside and decides that it "is a perfect day to walk to work." On his way, he waters wildflowers, builds a path across a brook, shares news of a coming storm with neighbors, takes a letter to Emerson, gives comfrey root to the postmaster to help his sore foot, relocates some troublesome woodchucks, and marks a path. And so it continues, and each time a friend asks him what he is doing, he replies, "I'm just walking to work." When asked, "What IS your work?" Henry replies, "It's writing.… I'm writing a book." An image of Henry against a chartreuse landscape fills the cover, conveying what he likes most: being immersed in and writing about nature. Done in colored pencil and paint, the artwork features multifaceted, geometric shapes in earth tones with touches of pastels. Johnson describes Henry's work in the back matter, including Thoreau's words: "For many years I was self-appointed inspector of snow-storms and rainstorms… surveyor, if not of highways, then of forest paths and all across-lot routes, keeping them open, and ravines bridged and passable…." Young readers will appreciate Henry's endeavors, and commiserate with him, having had elders judge their "work" less important or as "child's play."–Marian Creamer, Children's Literature Alive, Portland, ORCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.