Henry Finds His Word

December 1, 2014
Seeing that baby talk isn't working as well as he'd like, Henry decides to find his first word. Inaugural-word picture books remain perennial favorites, and this one distinguishes itself by committing wholeheartedly to little Henry's perspective. Clear pencil outlines, matte pastel colors, and flat forms and backgrounds cohere to offer the softly benign, limited viewpoint of a baby. Henry's wide face and teeny eyes anchor the artwork, imparting emotion with economy, and children might enjoy articulating the feelings behind his mild expressions. Sympathetic narration further explores Henry's (often funny) frustrations, pleasures and thought processes. "It would help if he knew what to look for. But Henry wasn't sure what words looked like." The words "big," "fuzzy," "prickly," "long" and "short" follow, each appearing as the shapes and textures they denote. The puffy, woolly outlines of "fuzzy" look soft to the touch, and "long" stretches out along the top of a dachshund's back. Henry pets a fuzzy bear, feels prickly grass, gazes up at the towering letters of "BIG." Here's exactly how a baby decodes and interprets the world around him, which can be a scary place when mama isn't in sight! Suddenly seemingly alone, Henry's first word bursts forth: "MAMA." And from there, as all mothers know, it never stops. Let this be the first first-word book to pull from the shelf. (Picture book. 1-4)

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January 1, 2015

PreS-K-Henry talks a lot, saying things like "Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah!" and "bbbghsh." Unfortunately, while he thinks what he says makes perfect sense, his parents don't understand him. The toddler decides to go searching for the right word, looking in his crib and in his toy box and even asking some of the animals in his backyard for help, albeit unsuccessfully. But when he loses sight of his mother, his first word finally comes to him, as he calls out, "Mama!" and his mother appears right by his side. Like adorable Henry, the writing is warm but also sensitive, particularly when he cannot find his mother: "Henry began to cry. Where was she? He needed her!" Ward also adds a touch of humor both with Henry's gibberish and at the end, when Henry uses his newfound word whenever he wants something. Ward's illustrations are created using pencil and pastel, making for soft colors and lines, which match the sweet, gentle tone of the story and young Henry himself. Like the title character of Robert Kraus's classic Leo the Late Bloomer (HarperCollins, 1979), Henry finds his first word in his own good time.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

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