Harris Finds His Feet [Hardcover]

Catherine Rayner (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Harris was a very small hare with very big feet. "Why do I have such enormous feet, Grandad?" he sighed. "All hares have big feet, young Harris," said Grandad.

And so begins a beautiful and remarkable story about a child's journey to independence. With help from his grandfather, Harris learns how to use his enormous feet to hop high into the sky. He climbs to the tops of mountains and runs really fast until suddenly he is on his own.

Gorgeous and highly imaginative watercolors illustrate how Harris not only learns about the world around him, but also discovers the importance of finding his own feet.

From the author and illustrator of Augustus and His Smile, winner of one of Child Magazine's Best Children's Book Awards.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—Harris asks his granddad why he has such enormous feet, and the whiskery old hare takes him on a series of adventures that show the youngster what he can do with them. Their outing includes joyous hopping "to the top of the world," contented digging, and life-preserving running (from a wolf in the distance), and end when worn-out Grandad leaves Harris to go forth on his own. The tale, told completely in spreads with one short block of text to each one, suffers from a lack of momentum, narrative tension, and a satisfying conclusion. Also, the absence of detail in either foreground or background art, suggesting to some the openness of the countryside, may give others the impression of wasted space. The screen print, watercolor, and ink illustrations, though lovely and evocative, don't do enough to make up for what the writing leaves out. Rayner's Augustus and His Smile (Good Bks., 2006) gives children a glimpse of this artist and illustrator's vast talent.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC
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From Booklist

Little hare Harris wonders why he has such huge feet. With Granddad’s guidance, though, he starts to learn what he, and his feet, can do: bounce high, dig cool spots on hot days, and run “fast as fast” from potential danger. Soon, Harris is ready to explore new places on his own, confident that “his big, strong feet can take him to the end of the world and back home again.” In descriptive prose that incorporates dialogue and word repetition, Rayner portrays a child’s familiar challenges and rewards as he faces beginning independence. The noteworthy color-washed, textured illustrations emphasize Harris’ supportive, affectionate family relationships and range in mood from the whimsical (Harris using his feet as sun shades) to the dramatic (Harris facing the looming shadow of a wolf). Charmingly illustrated, this affirming story, with its expressive rabbit characters, will encourage kids to explore their own talents and the wider world with confidence. Preschool-Grade 2. --Shelle Rosenfeld

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Good Books (May 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561486167
• ISBN-13: 978-1561486168
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and heart warming, October 2, 2010

By 

reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harris Finds His Feet (Hardcover)

It has great pictures and an entertaining story full of love about growing up and growing old. I have read it to my boy since he was about 2, he really loves it too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an adorable story of how a young hare, with his Grandad's help, learns to accept who he is!, February 12, 2010

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harris Finds His Feet (Hardcover)

Harris the hare wasn't very big, but when he looked at his humongous feet, he felt very out of place. He asked his grandfather about those "enormous feet" and Grandad told him that he'd show him just why hares have them. Harris still looked a bit downcast, but Grandad had that all knowing look about him. Grandad began to hop and bop and jump up into the air. Harris mimicked him and very soon he was bouncy bouncing all around. It almost looked like Harris was cracking a little smile.

Next Grandad took him up the top of a mountain and told him, "with your strong feet, you can hop to the top of the world." Together they both watched some birds fly over the mountaintops. Grandad and Harris were enjoying their time together. One was teaching and the other was learning . . . learning about how special he really was. They became closer and closer as the days went by. He even learned about what to do when they saw a wolf. Was Harris ever going to learn to be on his own? Would he learn how special he really was?

This is an adorable story of how a young hare, with his Grandad's help, learns to accept who he is. Every little one is insecure about one thing or another and this is one of those tales that is reassuring . . . many things youngsters feel are liabilities are in reality, assets. I also like the intergenerational relationship with his grandfather, who told him all about how special not only how his feet were, but also how special he was. The artwork was whimsical, had a light humorous air about it and was very appealing. This is the type of story that would be perfect for a grandfather to read to a grandchild!