Product Description
When Henry gets a bee in his bonnet to build a cabin in the woods, his friends all help out--mostly with advice. Henry, a bear character based on 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau, hears from his pal Emerson as they raise the beams. "Henry," he says, "your cabin looks too small to eat in!" But, "it's bigger than it looks," says Henry. He shows Emerson a bean patch he has planted behind the cabin. "When it's finished, this will be my dining room," he explains. A sunny spot beside the cabin will be the library, he tells his friend Alcott, and a path curving down to the pond will be the ballroom with a grand stairway.
The many devout fans of author D.B. Johnson's award-winning Henry Hikes to Fitchburg will be tickled to see another title featuring the placid, self-contained Henry. Johnson's kaleidoscopic colored-pencil and paint illustrations are as fascinating as Henry's perspectives on what a home can be. As in his first title, Johnson makes quiet allusions to other luminaries of Thoreau's time, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott. (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Product Details
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Books for Children |
| ISBN | 0618132015 |
| Features |
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| Format | Hardcover |
| Author | D.B. Johnson |
| EAN | 9780618132010 |
| UPC | 046442132015 |
| Label | Houghton Mifflin Books for Children |
| Studio | Houghton Mifflin Books for Children |
| Number Of Pages | 32 |
| Title | Henry Builds a Cabin |
| Reading Level | Ages 4-8 |
| Publication Date | 2002-02-26 |
| Manufacturer | Houghton Mifflin Books for Children |
Customer Reviews
I love Henry!Review by Marcia Yiapan, 2010-06-20
If you love Thoreau, or if you don't know who he is yet, read this darling book.
very nice
Review by chris king, 2009-01-13
My Grandson loved this book and had his grandpa help him buid a cabin of his own.
A whimsical and delightful book about Henry David Thoreau as an eccentric bear
Review by Nathan Andersen, 2008-05-07
Henry Builds a Cabin is a delightful little book, that playfully riffs on themes from Henry David Thoreau's classic work "Walden, or, Life in the Woods." Henry decides to build a small cabin along the side of Walden pond, and his friends Emerson, Alcott and Lydia worry that it won't be big enough. He reminds them, gently, that there is space enough outside, and that we live narrow lives when we consider that we can only be at home when we are indoors and confined.
The illustrations are nice, a whimsical variation on cubist style. What is most impressive is how simply the story is told and how much of Thoreau's character and background and thinking the author is able to pack into just a few easy sentences. Johnson is clearly well-versed in Thoreau's background, and clearly admires him -- and at the same time treats his story with a light and silly touch that is very appropriate for a children's book. Highly recommended.
makes your eyes think!
Review by christopher wren, 2003-09-06
What a delightful book! Based on Henry David Thoreau's time at Walden pond, this simple, direct little tale first recounts how and with what he built his cabin. By emphasizing Thoreau's skill and his use of recycled old house parts, the book enlivens his self-sufficiency and his critique of materialism.
The best parts are the three guests who interrupt Henry's work, each one suggesting some shortcoming in Henry's construction. The cabin is too small to eat or dance in, they suggest, too dark to read in. Each time, Henry beautifully and effortlesy turns these criticisms upside down. He patiently (and with quiet enthusiasm) explains that by living in nature he has annexed all of the space and sun and beauty around him. His cabin is the entire woods and the whole pond. Thoreau's individualism emerges through these confounding, whimsical dialogues.
D. B. Johnson, the author, conveys all of this in graceful, clear, subtle little exchanges. The talk is all quite concrete and easily grasped, so kids have no problem with the story. Yet Johnson's language also carries Thoreau's deeper meaning, in clever and refreshing ways.
The zestful, kinetic pictures provide rich pleasure. Click on the sample pages and see for yourself! Reminiscent of early cubism and of the figurative work of Kazimir Malevich, the illustrations divide the picture plane into coutless little segments. Johnson blends them pleasingly yet also uses them to demonstrate the wonder that every little corner of nature holds for the alert eye. In his fragments of the field of view, Johnson might include a butterfly, a squirrel, a rabbit, a cardinal or bluejay, rain drops, falling leaves, on and on. Trees and pond, sky and clearings all appear active, filled with spirit. Kids will love finding and noticing and searching, for these illustrations continually surprise: they make your eyes think! Pieces of nature intersect through the cabin windows, and the wonderfully broken view swirls around Henry and his visitors in a vivid depiction of our connectiveness to nature--one of Thoreau's central beliefs.
In sum, an efficient and expressive meeting of story, thought, and imagery.
Perfect Baby Shower Gift!!
Review by mamareadssomuch, 2003-02-11
We borrowed this book from the library and I must buy a copy for my 3yr old. He loves it. The illustrations are unique and so pleasing to the eye. They are a little abstract but not too much so you can't see what is being conveyed.
Henry builds a cabin but his friends doesn't think it's big enough. Henry says it's big enough for all kinds of things. In the end, you find out what the cabin is perfect for.
Delightful read and a sure bet for a Baby Shower Gift!
