Andrew Henry's Meadow [Hardcover]

Doris Burn (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Andrew Henry's Meadow by Doris Burn is a children's classic. This 40th Anniversary Edition will entertain children and adults alike. The creative antics of Andrew Henry Thatcher and his friends will inspire your imagination.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Doris Burn wrote and illustrated Andrew Henry's Meadow in 1965. Her son, Mark, inspired the story while they lived on Waldron Island in the San Juan Archipelago in Washington State. Waldron Island had no electricity, running water, telephones or stores of any kind. Doe would chop wood for the fire in her small cabin every morning. She kept a perpetual cup of hot tea brewing as she looked out at the beautiful Canadian Gulf Islands through her studio window. Doe now lives on Guemes Island, not far from Waldron. Her four children and thirteen grandchildren all share her love of the islands. She also wrote Summerfolk (1968) and The Tale of Lazy Lizard Canyon (1976) along with illustrating a dozen other books. Doris Burn passed away on March 9, 2011 at the age of 87. She leaves Andrew Henry's Meadow as a wonderful legacy for many more generations of children (and adults) to enjoy.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: San Juan Publishing (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970739923
• ISBN-13: 978-0970739926
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An All-Time Favorite, June 17, 2006

By 

Timothy P. Young (Rawlins, WY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Andrew Henry's Meadow (Hardcover)

I remembered this book from childhood, and when I was casting about for a gift for my young niece, I flashed on this. While it's true that this book might be better received by boys, what child can't help but be entranced by Andrew's Rube Goldberg-style houses and inventions? It wasn't until I reread it after buying it that I saw the logical fallacies in the story (for example, what did they eat in the meadow? and, since the whole story takes place in four days...well, let's just say that Andrew Henry is quite the engineer and contractor to build all those houses in such a short time).

But that's nitpicking, isn't it?

This is a fun story of 'misunderstood' youth and the families that love them. Great fun and highly reccommended.

PS> It occurs to me that there's no real synopsis of the book listed here, so I'll describe it in a nutshell. Andrew Henry is a young 'inventor' whose inventions drive his family to distraction. Feeling unloved, he sets out for a place where he can do as he pleases. After he finds the meadow of the title, he builds a house for himself, and is soon joined by several other children. Everyone gets their own house, and there's a happy ending.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favorite book - perfect for any age, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrew Henry's Meadow (Library Binding)

As children, my brother and I never tired of this book as a bedtime story. The detailed pen-and-ink drawings were enough to lose yourself for hours, but the writing is also magical in its simplicity. Even the secondary characters are given a full life. I have used this book for classroom projects for the past ten years as a third grade teacher. It can be about such heady topics as belonging, self-confidence, independence, acceptance and family love or about seemingly simpler concepts such as architecture, friendship and dreaming. Althougb I have memorized the text, I desperately need my own copy as I gave my only one away to a friend's children years ago, before I realized that it was out-of-print.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For every kid (or grown up) who ever wanted to run away, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrew Henry's Meadow (Library Binding)

This wonderfully illustrated book inspires and rekindles the imagination for anyone. Young Andrew Henry decides to run away from home one day; he takes his carpenter's set travels for a few hours and eventually he rests in a meadow. Andrew builds his house, then as other kids arrive at the meadow, Andrew builds their houses too. Andrew designs/builds each house for the kids to suit their hobbies. A bridge house with paddle wheels and sail boats, a tree-house with bird cages, anything you could imagine - he builds it. I remember having this book read to me when I was only 4 (27 years ago), reading it myself when I was 6 and reading it to cousins, nieces, nephews over the years. The book is out of print now (I gave my last copy away over 10 years ago). If you ever find it - it's a keeper! As a grown-up kid you could almost think the message may be "No matter how different we all are, we can all live together".