Henry's Hand

August 19, 2013
Frankenstein-monster lookalike Henry, a greenish “bits-and-pieces kind of guy,” literally puts himself together every morning. Henry always makes sure his feet and eyes are attached, and he gives his favorite part, his right hand, unprecedented freedom. Independent of Henry, the dexterous Hand gallops around on its fingers and works around the house. Finally, weary of Henry’s chores, Hand stows away on a city-bound turnip truck and, to the shock and delight of 1930s-style newsies, heroically saves a distracted commuter from a traffic accident. Instantly rich and popular, “Hand didn’t have to lift a finger” any longer. Meanwhile, Henry pines for his missing part. MacDonald (Boys of Steel) exhibits his customary affection for WWII-era comics, picturing roadster-driving men in fedoras and a glowing, golden, modernist city. Forlorn Henry nods to early creature features, while Hand recalls The Addams Family’s unattached Thing. All the pieces are in place, as it were, and MacDonald sets them in motion in a melodramatic plot that wraps up with a reunion worthy of applause—with both hands. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from September 15, 2013
A good old-fashioned man/appendage love story for the ages. Henry's just your typical Frankenstein's monster, "bits-and-pieces kind of guy." Prone to having his body parts wander off without him, he's closest to his right hand. Alas, Henry fails to appreciate the hand's work, cruelly exploiting its helpful little green digits, sending it out to start the car on cold mornings and making it get up to change the channel. Little wonder that, one day, he finds that it has taken off for the big city. There, it saves a rich man from certain death and instantly becomes the talk of the town. Yet at the end of the day, even fame and fortune cannot compare to a good friend who knows you like the back of...well, you know. The combination of a rags-to-riches tale and the monster genre might appear jarring in the abstract, but MacDonald manages to make the enterprise work. The text is warm and friendly, though adults of a certain age will have a hard time not thinking of Thing from The Addams Family. Meanwhile, the art takes advantage of classic 1930s tropes, from crooked caps and newsboys to mailrooms and wealthy socialites. Kids will come for the monster and the disembodied hand. They'll stay for the story. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Henry is a jolly zombie with the uncanny ability to disassemble himself. He relies on all of his body parts, but he is most dependent on dutiful and friendly Hand. But when Hand starts to feel overworked, he runs away to the big city to go on an adventure of his own and finds himself living in luxury. But now that he doesn't have to lift a finger to help anyone else, he grows restless, while back at home Henry realizes how he took Hand for granted. It's a ridiculous and bizarre concept, but also filled with a lot of heart. In the end, Henry writes Hand a letter saying that he needs him, and Hand replies, "I came as soon as I could. That's just how it is with old friends." MacDonald's nostalgic style makes the piece come alive (undead?) and adds to the humor. The picture-perfect world filled with Art Deco buildings and rosy-cheeked townsfolk comically contrasts with a cartoon Henry and his Munsters-like hotrod. Henry's Hand would pair well with Michael Rex's Goodnight Goon (2008) and Runaway Mummy (2009, both Putnam).-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2013
Preschool-G So this is strange. Henry, a fellow who looks like a cross between Frankenstein and Al Capone, keeps losing pieces of himself. An eye rolls under the couch; a leg disappears. But Henry's right hand, also independent, is a worker, fetching the newspaper or changing the TV channel. Finally, though, Hand has had enough and hitches a ride into the city; Henry is left to fend for himself. The city has mean streets, but Hand's fortune changes when he pulls a man from a car's path and becomes a hero. Fame and wealth follow, but life in a house of servants seems a bit useless. Meanwhile, Henry has learned to take care of himself, but he is lonely. A letter from Henry brings Hand home with a new friend for their new life. The writing is conventional, but the story has a good message about friendship. It's MacDonald's wonderful retro-style artwork, however, that will rightfully get all the attention. It's the sort that draws both children and adults, who will be charmed by the offbeat protagonists. Beautifully designed, too, this will be fun to read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)