Henry's Map

April 29, 2013
In a story that blends ideas about cooperation and orderliness with a gentle existential crisis, Elliot, best known for his illustrations of Brian Jacques’s Redwall books, introduces Henry, a “very organized sort of pig.” Henry takes pride in his tidy sty (“A place for everything and everything in its place,” he says, quoting the 19th-century aphorism) but decries the messy state of the farm. “How could anybody ever find anything out there?” he wonders (although the farm looks pretty darn kempt in Elliot’s pencil-and-watercolor illustrations). Henry decides to draw a map to sort things out and, armed with pencil and paper, makes his way across the barnyard. All the animals are excited to be included, falling in line behind the earnest cartographer, whose childlike, squiggly drawings are a comical counterpoint to his seriousness of purpose. From a hilltop overlooking the empty farm, the animals are puzzled when they look at the map (“Where did we go?”), and Henry quickly leads them back to their dwellings, to the relief of all concerned. Elliot’s barnyard animals brim with personality and emotion, matching the understated humor of this charming story. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from May 1, 2013
Henry, an adorable pig, maps his farm world and puts everything in its place. Henry likes things organized. When he realizes that the farm outside his sty is a mess, he worries that no one will be able to find anything. His solution is to draw a map. Going from the sheep's woolshed to the cow pasture to the stable and the chicken coop, Henry shows his growing creation to the animals along the way. The animals are excited to see sketches of themselves and soon join the cartography expedition, ending on the hill above the farm. The parade, with chickens and sheep taking a ride on horses and Henry's little trotters leading the way, sets the tone for comedy. When the livestock reach the top of the hill to compare the map to the actual farm, they are horrified to see that, while the map (and the hill) is filled with animals, the farm is empty! Racing back, the group checks each place and finds that now--miraculously--the animals are back in their places. Phew! Henry's face, often filled with a worried scowl, allows readers to feel his need for order. Detailed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations add to the comedic timing, especially when Henry finds his face in the mirror, in the sty, right where he belongs. Here's hoping for many more Henry-centric adventures. (Picture book. 3-8)

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Starred review from June 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-Henry likes to keep things organized, so he decides to make a map of the farm. As he travels the barnyard drawing his own pigsty, the woolshed and sheep, the chicken coop, and the stables, the other animals are excited by his project and join him. Map finished, the piglet leads them proudly up the hill to compare the map to the farm itself-only to find that none of the animals are where they are supposed to be. "Where did we go?" they ask. They dash back to check each location, and when they arrive, they are relieved to find everyone in the right place. With appealing characters and gentle humor, this book will be a hit at storytime, or as an introduction to mapping lessons. Elliot's squiggly watercolor and pencil illustrations make clever use of white space, with the pictures expanding as the confusion of the story does and receding as Henry's world becomes orderly once again.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

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