The Power of Henry's Imagination

Choice words and creative visuals combine to celebrate and inspire the mind's eye. 

When five-year-old Henry can't find his best friend Raspberry, a stuffed rabbit, Grandpa offers this advice: "You just have to imagine that Raspberry is with you—in this moment!" Given that Grandpa "knew more than anyone else who had ever lived," Henry agrees and has "so much fun imagining his many adventures with Raspberry that he completely forgot Raspberry was lost in the real world." As if on cue, the mailman shows up with Raspberry. Byrne and George are part of the creative team behind the self-help phenomenon The Secret (Bryne is the daughter of founder Rhonda Byrne), so it's not surprising that the book's message reflects a particular slant on empowerment. Still, it's imaginatively rendered: George portrays all the action in highly distilled, two-dimensional ink drawings on brown paper backdrops, then adds real objects to bring the scenes to life. When Henry's parents undertake the obligatory under-the-sofa search for Raspberry, George sprinkles the page with white cushion feathers, a keychain, a chess piece, threads, and lots of crumbs. It's detritus that even the most Secret-skeptical families will recognize.