A review by kristinajean
Little Red Henry by Linda Urban
3.0
This picturebook follows Henry as he tires of his family's mollycoddling and becomes independent--but not so independent that he can't have a bedtime story.
The illustrations, rendered in graphite and gouache, are fun, dynamic and skillfully done. The variety of page layout adds to a sense of independence on Henry's part--both predictable and unpredictable at the same time. My biggest quibble with this well-constructed story, is that the almost-ending falls flat--the ending the story in a manner suitable to Henry's change, but also with a sense of status quo. The "tuck in" is a good means to do this, but the family's meandering before then really struck me as odd. Why would they give up everything they have ever done to over-do it regarding Henry. It just doesn't sit right.
The illustrations, rendered in graphite and gouache, are fun, dynamic and skillfully done. The variety of page layout adds to a sense of independence on Henry's part--both predictable and unpredictable at the same time. My biggest quibble with this well-constructed story, is that the almost-ending falls flat--the ending the story in a manner suitable to Henry's change, but also with a sense of status quo. The "tuck in" is a good means to do this, but the family's meandering before then really struck me as odd. Why would they give up everything they have ever done to over-do it regarding Henry. It just doesn't sit right.