I Am Henry Finch

I Am Henry Finch

Bravery plays out in surprising ways when a little finch starts having big thoughts. The finches live in a big flock that makes such a racket nobody can hear themselves think. But one day a small bird wakes up in quiet darkness and has a thought, and he hears it: I am Henry Finch. . . . I could be great. The next day, the Beast comes, and Henry sees his chance—but then a mouth opens wide, and the path to greatness turns out to have some unexpected twists. Delightful illustrations pair with a quirky, funny, and uplifting story for budding philosophers of all ages. PreS-Gr 1—Henry Finch and his loving family—each of whom is cleverly drawn using black stick wings and legs that are appended to a bright red fingerprint—live in a tree and spend their time being exceedingly polite and obedient. Every dawn they say good morning to one another, and every night they do the opposite, each family member happily greeting the others by name. Something else happens every day, too. The Beast—a green dinosaur—comes and terrifies the finches, and they fly to the top of the nearest tree and wait for him to leave. (Observant children will notice that while he hovers, the Beast has little finch legs sticking out of his mouth.) One day, Henry decides that it's time for something different. He can be great! He flies directly toward the creature when it shows up…and is promptly eaten. While in the Beast's stomach, he hears its' thoughts about finding its food and feeding its family, and things suddenly seem a lot different. After the wily bird escapes, he returns to his family and is an inspiration to them for how things can be better. While this book might sound gruesome, it's anything but. The crisp, bright drawings will hold children's attention, and the story of things almost going all wrong before the family is shipshape again is both exciting and comforting. VERDICT A fun, well-illustrated look at how standing up for yourself can be scary but rewarding.—Etta Verma, Library Journal Using only very simply drawn figures and changing the color field for "interior" shots to white on solid black, Schwarz conveys Henry's simple outer and rather more complex inner worlds with a visual boldness that amplifies the exhilaration of his Cartesian epiphany. Henry will be a hero, and not just to readers of a philosophical feather. Small bird, big thoughts. Greatness achieved. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) A fun, well-illustrated look at how standing up for yourself can be scary but rewarding. —School Library Journal The layout and design are stylish and witty...youngsters may find this an occasion, with adult prompting, to consider the book’s messages, and they will be amused by the witty art. —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Alexis Deacon is the author of A Place to Call Home and Cheese Belongs to You!, both illustrated by Viviane Schwarz. He is also an acclaimed illustrator: Beegu and Jitterbug Jam, both of which he illustrated, were named New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. Alexis Deacon lives in London. Viviane Schwarz is the author-illustrator of There Are Cats in This Book, which was short-listed for a Kate Greenaway Medal, as well as There Are No Cats in This Book and The Sleepwalkers. She is also the illustrator of Alexis Deacon's A Place to Call Home and Cheese Belongs to You! Viviane Schwarz lives in London.