Henry Works (by D. B. Johnson)

Along the way, he stops in on neighbors such as Emerson (Ralph Waldo), Mrs. Hawthorne (wife of Nathaniel), and Mrs. Alcott (spouse of Bronson). He helps Emerson with a woodchuck infestation, tells Mrs. Alcott to bring in her drying laundry because it will soon rain, and plants a strawberry plant in Mrs. Hawthorne's garden. This is quite an illustrious set of neighbors, but people are not Henry's focus. He is sharply attuned to the world of plants, trees, and natural phenomena such as the weather. When he arrives at his cabin he begins his work: writing.

This fourth title in a series continues the saga of a most unlikely picture book subject, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), with the same aplomb as its award-winning predecessors. While Thoreau does not appear in an immediately recognizable guise, his quiet containment, clarity of focus, and relationship with the natural world reflect the man perfectly.

D. Johnson's extraordinary Cubist-style artwork and quietly told story reproduce Thoreau's world in a way that is easy to grasp and peaceful enough for bedtime. This is a beautifully rendered tale rich with historical, literary, geographical, and natural history references. Thoreau himself would surely approve of planting the seeds of wisdom in young minds.