Henry Gets in Shape. Robert M. Quackenbush. 2021. [August] 48 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: On the day Henry the Duck was going to take his friend Clara to the movies, he stopped to weigh himself. He was surprised to see he weighed so much. He wanted to do something about it right away.
Premise/plot: Henry the Duck is having a HORRIBLE day. And it all started when he stepped on the scale! What observant readers realize--that Henry never does--is that he wasn't alone on the scales! Two suitcases OR possibly briefcases joined Henry on the scale for his morning weigh in! So poor Henry never realizes that it is all for nothing.
So Henry (the Duck) spends the whole book trying--and failing--to get in shape. He tries EVERYTHING. And everything he tries just leads to pain and misery. For example, "But Henry got the heavy barbells no higher than his chest when they fell. Henry's feet were smashed!" And later when he tries jogging--it's pouring down rain. No matter what Henry does, it leads to misery....
My thoughts: Poor Henry! Henry's horrible day is oh-so-relatable. Maybe not for children. Definitely not for children. The book might read as slapstick comedy for children. There is a lot of physical comedy going on in the book after all. But for adults...the book is so super relatable!
I definitely enjoyed this one. I think it would be easy to recommend for all ages. Whether you're laughing at Henry or empathizing....it's a treat of a read.
© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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