Customer Reviews

John Patrick Norman McHennessy: the boy who was always late (Dragonfly Books)

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We live in Japan. My boys, who, unlike most Japanese children, have a middle name, are tickled when I read off this boy`s FOUR. John Patrick Norman McHennessy not only has an amazingly long name, but he is always late. (Definitely something they can identify with.) It is not his fault, but because of the myriad of fantastic occurrances which befall him "on the road to learn." He perseverantly keeps on going, everyday. He is always truthful, even when it would be easier to lie and avoid chastisement from Sir, who always accuses him of prevarication and metes out some dreadful punishments. In fact, Sir gets bigger and scarier-looking with each appearance, until the tables are turned in a most satisfying denoument. He may be too frightening for wee ones, but my five- and seven-year old boys love it.

Bought this book twenty plus years ago, found it again on Amazon and boy was I pleasef. An excellent read aloud.

While living in France in the 1980s, we would occasionally cross over the border and shop in Geneva for some "English" reading material. While there one Christmas, I found this book, John Patrick Norman McHennessy:The Boy Who Was Always Late. My four children absolutely loved the book. It is imaginative and the story is endearing to the young child. As my son's name was John, we gave the book to him as a gift but it was read to all. I was perusing through Amazon one day and was amazed to find it and purchased it for my granddaughter. For me, it ranks up there with Madeline, and all the other children's classics. it is an easy and fun read.

My son's kindergarten teacher just read us (the parents) this book on Parent's Orientation night. The book is about a boy who is always late because of fantastic experiences that hold him up on his way to school - crocodiles, lions, tidal waves. The teacher doesn't believe him (who would?) and punishes him for being late. One day, nothing happens on the way to school and he is not late. But now it is the teacher who has a fantastic experience - being strung up by a gorilla and asking for the boy to help him. The boy doesn't believe the teacher and goes away without helping him.

The point, for me, is about preserving the wonderful imaginations of our young children. To quash those imaginations in favor of a more grown-up (and realistic) view of life and responsibilities is a great disservice not only to them but to us, the teachers. And the illustration of the boy walking to school on the day when nothing fantastic happens is positively dreary and heartbreaking. To insist on grown-up pragmatism at the cost of childhood imagination ends up being a lose-lose outcome.

Although children love the story, this is really a children's book that is a lesson to parents, rather than children. Our son's new kindergarten teacher read it to us that way. Then she said that she tells our children this: I promise to always believe you as long as you always believe me too. And in this way we will build trust in each other together.

I often find myself trying to get out the door with my kids when one of them suddenly discovers an alligator in the bathroom. I am working on taking the time to believe in their alligator.

John Burningham's JOHN PATRICK NORMAN MCHENNESSY - THE BOY WHO WAS ALWAYS LATE tells of a boy who can't seem to get to school on time. His teacher doesn't believe his imaginative stories and punishes him - until the time John gets to school on time and finds something strange has happened to his teacher. A zany story of timeliness with a twist makes for a fun tale out of the ordinary.

This book tickles me! I am a teacher and have read it so many times to students that I have to get another copy. Kids really love this story. It is a little bit of a surprise to them when the teacher tells John that if he keeps telling lies he might hit him with his stick, but he doesn't ever get hit so it just serves to grab the kids' attention. The book isn't explicit because you can see the things that could never happen, "happening" but maybe it is the boy's imagination. Since you never know for sure it is a great book to talk about how different people can interpret books in different ways depending on their experiences or mindset. You could even have kids present the evidence that made them think the things really did or really didn't happen. Awesome book!

As a child, my dad read this book to me almost every night. I loved the illustrations and the story. And it taught me the important lesson that children are sometimes much more intelligent and insightful than adults. Maybe some would consider the next lesson to be anything but a lesson, but as a child, this book taught me to question authority and to have faith in my own judgment. I think that is the most important lesson this book teaches children.

I'm not sure if preschoolers would get this, but primary grade children enjoy this story where the child triumphs over the teacher in the end! Even groups who are restless find the humor in this situation!

In this book about a boy who is so eager to learn, children will learn too. John is somehow always made tote to school, be it by alligators or other beasts. This teacher who does not believe John's excuses for tardiness, soon learns his lesson about these wild animals running around town.

With its stunningly original illustrations and long-named hero, I expected a real find. Instead I discovered a tedious one-joke story featuring a sadistic teacher. Oh, I know, it's all meant as fun, but there was nothing amusing about a boy forced to repeat 400 times "I must not tell lies about lions and I must not tear my trousers," and who is threatened with a beating.

The book is neither very funny nor wise. There are so many outstanding children's books; this is not one of them.