Debra Briatico (Children's Literature)
Inspired by a passage from Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond this charming story follows the adventures of two friends who take completely different paths to reach their final destination in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Henry decides to hike the thirty miles through the countryside, exploring nature along the way--he crosses rivers and swamps, carves a walking stick, presses flowers in a book, climbs trees, and finds honey trees and blackberry bushes. While Henry walks all day and enjoys the great outdoors, his friend works around town, trying to make enough money to ride the train to Fitchburg--he sweeps the post office, paints a fence, moves bookcases, and cleans out a chicken house. Although both friends arrive at their destination around the same time, their experiences differ widely. Young readers will enjoy following along as the two stories unfold side-by-side through colorful illustrations and short passages. The author includes clever references to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne in the text and provides interesting biographical information about Thoreau. This wonderful book offers a great introduction to Thoreau's beliefs about nature and life. It will make an excellent addition to any picture book collection! 2000, Houghton Mifflin Company, $15.00. Ages 4 to 8.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2001)
When two friends decide to visit the town of Fitchburg (Massachusetts), each has his own idea about the best way to get there. Henry chooses to walk, but his friend would much rather find work to earn train money for the 30-mile journey. "We'll see who gets there first!" says Henry's friend. In a story based loosely on the ideals of Henry David Thoreau, readers see that it is the journey, not being first, that can offer the greatest reward. While Henry walks leisurely across the rural 19th century Massachusetts countryside, he has countless opportunities to observe and interact with nature, and to rest when he's tired. His friend, meanwhile, earns the money for his train fare with one laborious job after another. He does, indeed, arrive in Fitchburg first, but who spent the nicer day? Henry and his friend are depicted as bears. Each two-page spread juxtaposes their contrasting activities in full-page colored pencil and paint illustrations. This story offers wonderful sequencing and great opportunities for discussion. An author's note gives a biography of Henry David Thoreau. CCBC categories: Picture Books for Older Children. 2000, Houghton Mifflin, 32 pages, $15.00. Ages 7-10.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July/August 2000 (Vol. 53, No. 11))
Henry and his friend, anthropomorphized bears, make a bet about who can get to the town of Fitchburg first: Henry walking, or his friend working for the money for a train ticket. Alternating pages depict the activities of the two characters: Henry’s friend fills “the woodbox in Mrs. Alcott’s kitchen” while Henry hops “from rock to rock across the Sudbury River”; Henry’s friend pulls “the weeds in Mr. Hawthorne’s garden” while Henry presses ferns and flowers in a book. Eventually, the two reach Fitchburg; Henry’s friend is first, because Henry has stopped to fill a pail with blackberries. Johnson has based his first picture book on an excerpt from Thoreau’s Walden, in which Thoreau discusses wasting a day earning money for train travel vs. walking and having the day be all his own. The narrative is full of little clues as to Henry’s identity (the names of his friends, for example: Alcott, Emerson, Hawthorne, etc.) as are the colored pencil and paint illustrations, which set the characters in the bucolic Concord, Massachusetts of Thoreau’s day. The cluttered compositions do not always show Johnson’s cubist figures to best advantage, however, and the predominantly verdant hues lack variety. It is unlikely that any child is going to understand the literary allusions without the intervention of a motivated adult, and the very subtle humor is sure to go over younger heads. Still, teachers and other adults seeking an entree to Transcendentalist philosophy for primary graders can end their search here. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2000, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2000, Houghton, 32p, $15.00. Ages 6-9 yrs.

Therese Whalen (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 13, No. 4))
The book was inspired by Henry David Thoreau's Walden and is a great introduction to Thoreau. This interesting story follows two friends (bears) who take very different approaches to life. They both agree to meet one evening in the town of Fitchburg, which is 30 miles away. Henry decides to walk and encounters many adventures along the way. His friend plans to work for a day and earn enough money to take the train. Colorful pictures detail the progress of each bear as he progresses towards his destination--one in the city and one in the countryside. This book would be a good addition when studying or comparing living in a city and living in the country. It would be a good introduction on problem-solving when planning how to get to a specific destination. Grades PreK-4. 2000, Houghton Mifflin, Unpaged, $15.00. Ages 3 to 10.