Little Red Henry

Henry's doting family members fall over each other with cries of "Let me!" when Henry wants to make his own meal or brush his own "widdle toofers." Henry is sick of it. The text, with the parents talking in baby talk while Henry shows his competence, is a laugh-out-loud riff on "The Little Red Hen"; droll graphite and gouache cartoon drawings are irresistible.

Poor Henry! Everyone in his family, from his doting parents to his adoring older siblings, loves him so much that they do not let him do a thing for himself. They make all his meals, pick out his clothes, and tote him around. Henry is sick of it, but his family is resistant to his attempts at independence. They fall over each other with cries of "Let me!" when Henry wants to make his own meal, brush his own "widdle toofers," dress himself, or make plans to play with best buddy Gibson. The text, with the parents talking in baby talk while Henry shows his competence, is a laugh-out-loud riff on "The Little Red Hen." "'No, thank you,' said Henry. 'I can do it myself.' And he did." Valentine's droll graphite and gouache cartoon drawings of bespectacled, redheaded Henry are irresistible, starting on the opening endpapers, where Henry is being readied for a ride in a wagon. Next we see a frowning Henry, now too-carefully dressed in helmet, knee and arm pads, and…life jacket. Henry's disdain grows as the pages turn: hands on hips, dressed in his footie pajamas like a toddler, Henry looks to be about as put out as a big boy can be. It takes awhile, but soon the family finds that there is more to life than tending to Henry's every need. Empty nesters, helicopter parents and siblings, and independent little ones will chuckle in recognition. robin smith