Blue-Ribbon Henry [Library Binding]

Mary Calhoun (Author), Erick Ingraham (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A day at the county fair-what fun! For everyone but Henry, that is. First his family enters him in a pet show, where-- yowl-meowl! -- Henry's chief competitor is a snooty cat who's much bigger and sleeker than he is. Then some people think Henry is funny, not feisty, when he rescues The Kid during the greased pig contest.

But when a little girl gets lost and only this high-stepping, hindleg-walking hero can find the child and lead her safely back to her mother, Henry shows that he's got what it takes to win first place in fairgoers'-- and readers'-hearts.

Mary Calhoun's gently humorous story and Erick Ingraham's breathtaking illustrations combine for a rollicking picture-book adventure that will captivate Henry fans of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-The star of Hot-Air Henry (1981) and High-Wire Henry (1991, both Morrow) returns. This time, the Siamese cat visits the country fair with his family, where he's intimidated by the large size of the animals competing for prizes. When he tries to save his owner from a furious charging pig, Henry finds to his chagrin that the boy is actually doing the chasing. When bystanders laugh at his "rescue" attempt, the cat runs away in humiliation. His shame is soon forgotten, though, when he finds a lost girl and leads her out of a horse arena and back to her mother. As a result of his bravery (and not his appearance), Henry wins a "Pet of the Show" award. The moral is both clear and satisfactory. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations portray realistic scenes. Ingraham uses shading and color to highlight the action and the main characters while still depicting the hustle and bustle of a country fair. The charming pictures, fast pace, and clear resolution of the plot make this story a natural read-aloud. Children will enjoy the action and identify with Henry's initial feelings of inadequacy and later pride at his achievements.
Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Henry the Siamese Cat returns, this time winning a ribbon at the county fair but not before having many adventures. Henry is not sure he likes the fair; he is intimidated by having to compete against a big, snobby cat in the pet parade; and Henry is laughed at when he tries to help his owner in the greased pig contest. But when he leads a lost little girl to her family by walking on his hind legs so that she will follow, he proves himself the hero of the fair. Told from Henry's viewpoint (the pig is described as a huge mound with eyes) and beautifully illustrated with watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, this will satisfy animal lovers as well as fans of Henry's earlier exploits. Helen Rosenberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688146759
• ISBN-13: 978-0688146757
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,050,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Henry book yet! My kids & I laughed out loud., October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue-Ribbon Henry (Library Binding)

Being Henry fans for many years, we are always happy to see a new Henry book. My children and I agree that this is our favorite so far. We read it together and belly laughed as Henry dashed to save the boy from the pig! As we are small town midwesterners, we can relate to the county fair theme and are pleased that Henry got to experience both the excitement and competition a fair brings to town. My five year old son wishes the next Henry book would be "Henry the Police Cat". "Blue Ribbon Henry" is the cat's meow!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cats, November 15, 2007

By 

A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blue-Ribbon Henry (Hardcover)

Great book for any cat lover

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"