Old Henry

I loved this book as a child and was so happy to have found it again!

I bought this book for my daughters because of the excellent illustrations by Stephen Gammell. Home, I sat on the sofa, girl on each side and read aloud. It didn't take long to finish this book that is written in verse. And it is a children's book, be assured of that. But, you know, the message here is one that would make this world a much better place if we adults would only open our eyes and see.Sophie Cacique Gaul

It may not last forever, but this book has momentarily knocked Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio" into second place. "Old Henry" is now my favorite all time book, even after having owned it for about seven years. Oh, I used to read it all the time to the kids, but the moment I realized this book is now, for the time being, my all-time favorite book, is when I sat in the emergency room late one recent Saturday night. My wife was in another room, discovering she had a broken foot from a slip earlier that day on a basement floor made wet by water leaking in through the walls. I spend far too much time doing home maintenance these days, mopping up wet basement floors, calculating how the house will be sided or painted, deciding whether topaint or replace a garage door, trimming hedges and yanking weeds.All of these ridiculous, no-win chores simply chip away at the time I want for reading, writing and drawing. It is not enough that parenthood justly requires so much time and energy -- we signed on for that -- but the treadmill that is home maintenance is a horror for anyone who likes to sit by the bird feeder and read magazines.I envy, then, Old Henry, who wants only to move in, leave things be, and read and draw while his neighbors are concerned about the length of his grass.My uncle once explained to me why he barely ever trims his bushes. "I want them to express themselves," he said, comparing his free-flowing shrubs to the neighbors' which were stiff and buzzcut as military sentries.So I used to read "Old Henry" for my kids. Now it is at my bedside, along with the magazines and feng shui books, all reminders that if I want to nurture my mind, I'll have to give up the landscaping and such, and while the water in the basement must be mopped up lest anyone else break a bone, that we actually do have the freedom to surrendur to nature, let it grow and grow around us, and in that sweet surrendur, curl up defeatedly with a book.

I thought that this book was really good. I think that it will help kids understand how you should never judge people because that is what they did in the book. The neighbors judge Henry because he moved into a house and he did not fix it up so his neighbors cleaned his yard for him and was running him out. The neighbors did what they wanted but when he left the neighbors started to miss him. It shows that with him gone there was something special the people liked about him.

A most unusual children's book, Old Henry can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. The illustrations are particularly lovely and subtle; this book can be looked at many times, for the pictures alone. Old Henry is especially suitable for a child with learning disabilities and/or a language problem, or any child he feels he "doesn't fit in." The text is in rhymed verse, making it easier to follow the rhythm of the spoken word, and especially suitable for reading out loud. Also, the message of the book is that it is all right to be different or eccentric, even a hermit (in fact, Old Henry is something of a "slob," who doesn't maintain the house he has moved into. He prefers to paint or read.) Henry knows who he is, and how he wishes to spend his time, and he isn't bothering anybody. In fact, when he moves away (the neighbors pester him mercilessly to conform to their ways), the people in the town discover that they really miss this rugged individualist! In a society where everyone is strongly encouraged to conform, Old Henry is a refreshing reminder that it is all right to be eccentric. Your child will love hearing that from you!