Henry's Stars

by David Elliot

Overview

The stars take shape in this adorable companion to Henry's Map!

One beautiful evening on the farm, Henry stares up at the sky. As he looks from star to star, they seem to form a picture. He sees it! A great big starry pig! Henry can’t wait to show his friends. Yet instead of seeing the Great Pig’s ears, legs, and curly tail, the sheep see a woolly body . . . the Great Sheep! Abigail sees the Great Star Cow, of course, and the chickens spot Heavenly Hens flying all over the place. Henry is frustrated. Why don’t the others see what he sees?

In this charming companion to Henry’s Map, David Elliot explores—with gentle humor—the nature of art and perception. A perfect book for kids and adults who love to find shapes among the stars or anywhere else their imaginations may lead.

Praise for Henry's Stars

"Elliot’s watercolor and pencil illustrations seamlessly blend the realism and farce that makes this story work so well. Teachers will enjoy using this story to exemplify point of view or introduce a unit on constellations. Younger audiences will relate to Henry and delight in the predictability of his predicament. This modern-day fable deserves a place in most collections."—School Library Journal

Praise for Henry’s Map

One of School Library Journal's Best Books in 2013! 

* “With appealing characters and gentle humor, this book will be a hit at storytime, or as an introduction to mapping lessons.” —School Library Journal, starred review
 
* “Here’s hoping for many more Henry-centric adventures.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 
“Elliot’s barnyard animals brim with personality and emotion, matching the understated humor of this charming story.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“This story may even inspire budding cartographers to map their own world.” —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399171161
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/05/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,219,477
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

David Elliot was born in Ashburton, in the South Island of New Zealand. He is an award-winning illustrator and author who has achieved international success. He is the creator of Henry's Map, and his artwork has also appeared in the Redwall epic by Brian Jacques.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Henry's Stars

"Elliot’s watercolor and pencil illustrations seamlessly blend the realism and farce that makes this story work so well. Teachers will enjoy using this story to exemplify point of view or introduce a unit on constellations. Younger audiences will relate to Henry and delight in the predictability of his predicament. This modern-day fable deserves a place in most collections."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2015
PreS-Gr 3—In this charming companion to Henry's Map (Philomel, 2013), the young pig and his farm animal friends discover the wonder of the nighttime sky. One warm evening, as Henry sits gazing at the stars, he notices how one particular cluster forms the shape of a pig. Thrilled by his discovery, he rushes to the woolshed to share his exciting news about the "Great Pig in the Sky." But when the sheep look in the direction Henry points, they see something different. Abigail the cow is next on the scene. When the sheep triumphantly tell her they've discovered the "Great Sheep of the Stars," Abigail peers into the sky and definitely sees a "Great Star Cow." Mr. Brown discerns only the "Great Starry Horse," and, of course, the chickens perceive Heavenly Hens! By now Henry's excitement has turned to dismay, and even he can no longer see the Great Pig in the Sky. He retreats to his sty, leaving the squabbles of his barnyard friends behind. It is there, in the quiet of the night, that the Great Pig appears to Henry once again. Elliot's watercolor and pencil illustrations seamlessly blend the realism and farce that makes this story work so well. The spreads succeed in conveying both the expansiveness of space and the animals' personal reactions to their conflicting perceptions. Teachers will enjoy using this story to exemplify point of view or introduce a unit on constellations. Younger audiences will relate to Henry and delight in the predictability of his predicament. VERDICT This modern-day fable deserves a place in most collections.—Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA

School Library Journal

2015-02-16
Henry, the likable pig of Henry's Map (2013), is back in this picture book. Stargazing one evening from his front stoop, Henry sees a group of stars that seem to form a picture in the sky—a picture that to Henry's eyes is the Great Pig. Excited, Henry runs to where his sheep friends are just heading off to bed and shows them the stars. They stare and see…a Great Sheep. Abigail the cow joins them, and she sees a Great Star Cow. And on it goes. Even the chickens see Heavenly Hens. Irritated, Henry goes back to his stoop. Elliot's gentle writing is quietly humorous, and his illustrations, with their softly rendered nightscapes, capture the magic and mystery of night-sky gazing. The problem, though, is that the ending lacks developmental impact. Henry, after going home and sitting alone, once again sees the Great Pig and rushes off to tell his friends, just as he did at the beginning of the story. And this feels flattish. Nothing, apparently, has changed. The back endpapers show the clever visual reveal of a starry sky with all the animals delineated, but it would have had more impact if it were included in the body of the story. A lovely story with fetching illustrations that needs a more developed ending to completely succeed. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

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