Henry Wants More!

October 19, 2015
“More!” and “Again!” are demands all too familiar to parents and siblings of toddlers, and the child Ashman (Little Baby Buttercup) and Hughes (Baby Love) spotlight has a particular fondness for both words. To keep Henry entertained, everyone in his biracial family—including his patient grandmother and two older siblings—pitches in. Ashman’s lighthearted verse accompanies charming pictures of the clan accommodating Henry’s requests, and page turns complete the rhymes with repeated requests for “more” and “again.” Hughes’s homey, affectionate illustrations call to mind Janet Ahlberg’s endearing art for the Jolly Postman books. An entertainingly busy spread offers a dollhouse-like cutaway view of Henry’s home, showing obliging family members humoring him in each room. As bedtime approaches, after pulling a stack of books from the shelf, Henry finally winds down, snuggled in his mother’s lap: “Mama says, ‘I’ll read you two.’/ But now she’s up to four./ Her eyes are getting bleary,/ then she hears a tiny snore.” Exhausted families will easily recognize themselves in this knowing, good-humored tribute to the tirelessness of young children. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

October 1, 2015
Henry is a bundle of toddler energy who enters into every activity with great enthusiasm. He is a whirlwind of perpetual motion as his family gamely attempts to keep up with him. His father lifts him up until his arms are sore, but Henry asks for more. Grandma plays the piano and sings Henry's favorite song, while Henry sings and claps and shouts, "AGAIN!" (Everything's in uppercase for Henry.) Big sister Lucy patiently plays endless games until she is wiped out, but Henry calls for more. Big brother Charlie pulls him in a wagon and races with him back and forth, up and down the street, until he can't move another inch]and Henry wants another ride. More games, tickles, and songs ensue, leaving everyone thoroughly exhausted. Mama reads one bedtime story after another, until Henry finally falls asleep, to receive one more kiss from everyone as he slumbers. Ashman's tale is simple and cozy. There is no sense that Henry is spoiled or temperamental. His parents and siblings adore him, and he responds joyfully to the love that surrounds him. Hughes' softly hued, detailed illustrations depict a loving, biracial (African-American mom, Caucasian dad), multigenerational family whose facial expressions and body language add humor and dimension to the text. This toddler and his insatiable appetite for stimulation will charm readers of almost every age. (Picture book. 2-7)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from November 1, 2015

PreS-Henry never wants the fun to end. When Papa throws him up in the air, he begs for more. He can't get enough of his sister tickling his toes and playing pat-a-cake with him, either, or of his brother pulling him on rides in his little cart, or of Grandma singing. He demands "more!" again and again-his poor family is wiped out. When he finally falls asleep on Mama's lap while she's reading him his fourth book, they can hardly believe it but gingerly put him to bed and each give him a little kiss and leave the room. But wait...Mama can't stop herself and goes back...for more! Perfectly complemented by Hughes's colorful cartoons, which portray an insatiable little boy in an interracial family, Ashman's story is told in rhymes whose rhythms are just right for bedtime. VERDICT A wonderful illustration of the exhaustion and joy that is life with a toddler.-Etta Verma, Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2015
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* The concept of an energetic child tiring out his entire family is not new in picture books, but Ashman and Hughes have created one that is particularly memorable. Ashman's subtle rhymes add a gentle rhythm to the narrative and, by carrying the main rhyme over to each following page through Henry's shouts, emphasize the page turn and elicit a strong verbal response ( A song, a spin, a tickled chin / a ride across the floor; / a race, a chase, a silly face, / and Henry's calling . . . MORE!' ). Double-page spreads are interspersed between single- and multi-image pages, adding to the energy of the story, and Hughes' details create fun. This is a family in motion: things aren't neat and tidy, and people are busy indoors and out. In a cutaway scene of the entire house, only grandma is sitting, but even she is playing a game with the baby. The pastel palette adds softness to the tale, and a minimal background keeps the focus on this multiracial, intergenerational family whose appeal is universal and warmth apparent. The final More! is said not by Henry but by his mother: it's her desire for one more good-night kiss after the full day, and it's just right. Pair with Sue Heap's Mine! (2014) for another sweetly resolved story about an equally exuberant child.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)