Little Red Henry

A story that humorously but gently reminds overprotective families that it is natural and necessary and healthy for a child to learn to do for himself.

Empty nesters, helicopter parents and siblings, and independent little ones will chuckle in recognition.

Henry's family is so obsessed with infantilizing its youngest member, "their little redheaded Henry," that they even vie for who gets to brush what Mama insists on calling his "widdle toofers." Fed up, Henry expertly handles his own dental hygiene, chooses his own clothes (after carefully and comically weighing his options), and goes off to a play with his friend next door--and a new era is born. Valentine's (George in the Dark) cleverly composed cartooning slyly portrays how a skewed domestic dynamic rights itself. Henry's family members exude anxiety about their shifting roles, while Henry's confident stride and straight-on gaze speak to a sturdy sense of self. From start to finish, it's an irresistible story for the target audience: Henry's assertiveness results in an epic play date, as Urban's (Mouse Was Mad) terrific text elaborates ("They teeter-totted and monkey-barred and triumphed gloriously on the battlefield"), and his family is still at his beck and call at bedtime. Who says you can't have it all? Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Apr.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-K--Redheaded Henry is the poster child for overprotected kids. Not only does he have "helicopter" parents, he also has a hovering brother and sister. They feed him, dress him, and even offer to brush his "widdle toofers." The capable boy has had enough and tells them so: "I can do it myself!" And he does. Henry arranges his own playdate with next door neighbor Gibson. The boys frolic with great freedom all day, never noticing the watchful eyes trained on them. Henry's newfound self-sufficiency causes his family to fall into a state of listless boredom, but soon they remember some of the things they enjoyed before Henry became their sole focus. They begin to paint, type, waltz, wallpaper, and tap dance. After readying himself for bed, Henry discovers there is still one thing he needs help with. They happily comply with his request to be tucked in and the family achieves some balance. The illustrations, graphite drawings painted in gouache, are colorful and expressively amusing. Text appears in various places on the pages and an enlarged font is used occasionally for emphasis. VERDICT This charming story will resonate with children beginning to assert their independence.--Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This is a book that seems lighthearted, but it has a clear — and incredibly refreshing — agenda, offering parents a path to recovery from the current insanity. Valentine's witty watercolors and gouache present a kind of anthology of the current vogue for extreme parenting, adding fantastic details to the already humorous story.
—The New York Times 

Striking a balance between lively and atmospheric, Valentine's illustrations lend a depth to the lighthearted story of cosseted Henry's insistence on independence.... Urban's narrative tone matches the illustrative tone in its sophistication. Relatively complicated sentence structures are combined with simple ones, and the result is an energetic text. A story that humorously but gently reminds overprotective families that it is natural and necessary and healthy for a child to learn to do for himself.
—Kirkus Reviews

A laugh-out-loud riff on "The Little Red Hen," Valentine's droll graphite and gouache cartoon drawings of bespectacled, redheaded Henry are irresistible.... Empty nesters, helicopter parents and siblings, and independent little ones will chuckle in recognition.
—Horn Book