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erine's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully rendered picture book about the (un)reality of the best toys and loveys. A more somber and extended version of Knuffle Bunny, with a dreamier and more imaginative tone.
Yes, the crowns were weird.
Update: I had a great time reading this aloud to a small group of early preschool-ish aged children.
Yes, the crowns were weird.
Update: I had a great time reading this aloud to a small group of early preschool-ish aged children.
jmshirtz's review against another edition
5.0
THAT BEAR. <3 I need a print of that bear! The illustrations are wondrous, as always, with a sweet story to go with them.
cweichel's review against another edition
4.0
The story here is fine, but Zagarenski's illustrations make this book. This tale of a missing toy and it's return, blurs the lines between real and not real in the world of magical thinking that young children inhabit.
alicea's review against another edition
3.0
I tried explaining the Caldecott Honor to a group of pre-k children the other day. (It was pretty funny.) If you're unfamiliar, the Caldecott Medal and the Caldecott Honor are awarded to American illustrators whose work is singled out by the ALA as being "the most distinguished picture book for children". [Note: This does have a bearing on this post.]
I had decided to use a different style of picture book for my storytime and I chose to use Henry & Leo by Pamela Zagarenski. Two of the books that Zagarenski illustrated have been awarded the Caldecott Honor (Sleep Like a Tiger and Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors). You might have guessed that because she was both author and illustrator that Henry & Leo is most likely a visually stunning book...and you'd be correct. However, the kids weren't overly impressed with the storyline. :-/ I don't think this was so much the fault of the author but more a mistake on my part for trying this out with a group of pre-k aged children (solo reading for this age would most likely work fine though). It's a bit too introspective for such a large age of young children. The story centers on Henry who has a best friend named Leo...who is a stuffed lion. To Henry, Leo is absolutely 100% alive and he can't understand why his sister and parents fail to see this simple fact. Through a series of adventures, the reader learns just how much Leo and Henry mean to each other. I encouraged the kids to point out the crowns and other little treats that Zagarenski uses in all of her illustrations (without any explanation I might add). This was everyone's favorite thing to do but none of them could tell me much about the story after we'd finished so it wasn't as successful as I would have ultimately liked. Personally, I felt it lacked the heart that I had expected based on the premise and the beautiful artwork. I recommend that you check it out for yourself because I (and the children) might be overly harsh in our judgment. :-) For the record, this doesn't mean that I won't be checking out more of Zagarenski's work just that this one wasn't my all-time favorite. 3/5
I had decided to use a different style of picture book for my storytime and I chose to use Henry & Leo by Pamela Zagarenski. Two of the books that Zagarenski illustrated have been awarded the Caldecott Honor (Sleep Like a Tiger and Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors). You might have guessed that because she was both author and illustrator that Henry & Leo is most likely a visually stunning book...and you'd be correct. However, the kids weren't overly impressed with the storyline. :-/ I don't think this was so much the fault of the author but more a mistake on my part for trying this out with a group of pre-k aged children (solo reading for this age would most likely work fine though). It's a bit too introspective for such a large age of young children. The story centers on Henry who has a best friend named Leo...who is a stuffed lion. To Henry, Leo is absolutely 100% alive and he can't understand why his sister and parents fail to see this simple fact. Through a series of adventures, the reader learns just how much Leo and Henry mean to each other. I encouraged the kids to point out the crowns and other little treats that Zagarenski uses in all of her illustrations (without any explanation I might add). This was everyone's favorite thing to do but none of them could tell me much about the story after we'd finished so it wasn't as successful as I would have ultimately liked. Personally, I felt it lacked the heart that I had expected based on the premise and the beautiful artwork. I recommend that you check it out for yourself because I (and the children) might be overly harsh in our judgment. :-) For the record, this doesn't mean that I won't be checking out more of Zagarenski's work just that this one wasn't my all-time favorite. 3/5
wafflesnbooks's review against another edition
4.0
For a book with very little text, this was an excellent storytime pick. The kids were mesmerized.
circleofreadersdruid's review against another edition
5.0
I wanted to read Henry & Leo because I adored The Whisper, and I was not disappointed. When I was a very small child, I had a much beloved monkey that sucked his own thumb. Thumby (yeah, yeah, I know) was accidentally left at a hotel and there was much weeping. The hotel staff shipped him to our house, bless their hearts, and the world went on revolving around the sun. This book is for everyone like me, who lost a favorite toy that wasn't just a toy, and was reunited. I just wanted to hug the book when I finished it.
The illustrations are amazing. I had wondered about the crowns and stumbled across this explanation in the Q&A section:
All in all, a completely satisfying picture book!
The illustrations are amazing. I had wondered about the crowns and stumbled across this explanation in the Q&A section:
I have noticed many questions about the crowns in Henry and Leo.
There is in fact a method to my madness. I imagined "Henry and Leo" much like a dream. Our dreams are both "real" and "unreal" simultaneously.
What if the entire story from start to finish is Henry's dream? Or perhaps we assume just the middle lush woods section where Leo comes to life is Henry's dream. What is real? We make so many assumptions about what we know to be true. In dreams we unconsciously combine elements of our daily outer life experiences with our inner imagined life. If you look closely- everyone wears a different crown...The Bear has the same crown as the Father. (The Father carries Henry home on his shoulders and the Bear carries Leo home.) The mother and the fox have the same crown. The sister with her ponytails and the rabbit have the same crown. Henry has the same crown as Leo, but Leo only wears the crown in the woods alone - because Leo is in fact Henry. It is very subtle I understand that...but I want people to question and wonder. But for me it was all about bringing elements of family walking in the woods into Henry's dream. Henry's other toys also mirror the animals chosen in the woods. Leo's life comes from Henry's love. For me crowns represent the "spirit of things" - the higher power in things and so yes-I often use crowns. Hope this helps! Pamela Zagarenski
All in all, a completely satisfying picture book!
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