Lynn Beckwith

Henry, the bear who bears a remarkable resemblance to Henry David Thoreau, is back! D.B. Johnson's new book takes up where his first and widely acclaimed picture book, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, left off. Henry decides he would like to build a cabin. But because Henry is really Henry Thoreau, his cabin will be different from his neighbors'. Inspired by Thoreau's own journals, Johnson has created a joyful yet contemplative picture book that chronicles the building of his famous cabin on Walden Pond.

Johnson paints a vaguely cubist world where, in the space between opposing pages, snow changes to sun and soil bursts into seedlings. Perspective changes many times on a single page. To add to the fun, some familiar friends from American history visit Henry to offer advice. Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson is concerned that the cabin is too small to eat in. Bronson Alcott fears the cabin will be too dark to read in. Another neighbor, known only as Lydia, is concerned that the cabin is too small to dance in. Is our noble bear worried? Not at all. It turns out that he has a plan of his own. He eats his beans in his "dining room," which is actually adjacent to his hoe and bean patch. He enjoys his books in the "library" the woods themselves, where the trees keep him company and a chipmunk reads over his shoulder. He then dances down the "grand stairway" a path that leads to his pond.

Each time the reader opens the book, he or she will notice new details hiding in the illustrations. I especially liked the woodland creatures mirroring Henry's action on each page: when he is putting up the beams, a blackbird is constructing her nest. When Henry is boring holes for the corner posts, a woodpecker is pecking holes in a neighboring tree.

A note by the author tells a little more about the real Thoreau and his cabin. Especially interesting is the final cost: $28.12! Henry Hikes to Fitchburg celebrated the joy of the journey, and Henry Builds a Cabin reminds us that a wonderful home can be small and simple. Both books are a wonderful introduction to the life and philosophy of Thoreau.

Josette's cousin Louie has come to visit her, bringing with him a little whistle a gift from their grandfather in Paris. "Mama says Louie is spoiled," Josette says. "I say he is just Louie."

Josette is the narrator of The Little French Whistle, and from these few words, we understand her personality completely. She would like to try the whistle herself, but Louie is not one for sharing his toys. Sweet, patient Josette watches Louie as he tortures everyone in earshot with his loud, obnoxious whistling. Birds are frightened from their morning baths, the family poodle Fonfon is rudely awakened from her nap, and Grand-pére (the very same grandfather who gave the gift in the first place) is jarred from his bubblebath by Louie, who blew right into the bubbles. Though forgiving Josette still does not see her young cousin the way the rest of the world does (indeed, we all agree with Mama here), she is beginning to get the picture.

What will he do next? Louie startles a baby and runs back into the house, where he finally meets his match: Sheba, the cat. Sheba, like most cats, is not one to suffer fools patiently, and she gives Louie a bit of his own loud medicine ("HISSS!"), with a swat as a punctuation mark. The whistle is conveniently lost behind a cushion, and Louie is forced to go home without it. So, our heroine Josette finds it and plays it softly and sweetly for the same parties that were so offended by Louie's shrillness. Even Grand-pére is impressed. "You make music like in Paree," he exclaims.

In this familiar slice of family life, author Carole Lexa Schaefer tells the story of the spoiled boy and his loud toy without the predictable animosity of the jealous sibling or ranting adults. Having cousin Josette as the storyteller is the key here. Her sweet disposition is not cloying or false; she simply wants a turn at the whistle and follows Louie to see what will happen. Perhaps it is the European flavor of Chollat's delightful artwork, with its various references to Paris, and the round-faced, perpetually smiling characters moving through everyday experiences at the park and in the neighborhood, that make this book such a treasure. The Little French Whistle is a sweet tune you will want to hear again and again.