Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature)
This is a fantastic picture book on Henry David Thoreau. The text is in a fun, format showing what Henry does on a typical day as he takes a walk. On his walk he meets a different neighbor on most every spread and he stops at some special place. Places include a pond, brook, hill, a friend’s garden, and a wild strawberry patch. Neighbors always ask where he is going and he says he is walking to work. Henry shows his gentle side as he gathers some items in nature such as comfrey root, pine needles, wild strawberry plants, and looks at a den of foxes. It does not go unnoticed that he waters milkweed flowers and predicts afternoon rain. Suspense builds as the reader wonders where Henry will end up and what he plans to do with the next snatch of nature he gathers or cares for. At the end, the reader finds that all the time Henry was taking a long walk back to his own house so he could work at writing his book. The author/illustrator has discovered a unique way to present a great author to young readers. Illustrations in colored pencil and paint have the look of a patchwork quilt with various shapes and patterns. This book is sure to be a hit with adults and children. 2004, Houghton Mifflin Company, $15.00. Ages 4 to 8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 14))
Johnson adds new, rich meaning to a common phrase in his fourth Thoreau-esque episode. Responding to questioning neighbors that he's "walking to work," Henry strolls in a loop (mapped out on the endpapers) from Walden Pond to Concord and back. He gathers herbs and berries along the way, arranges stepping stones across a creek, delivers a letter as a favor, waters wildflowers, plants wild strawberries in a neighbor's garden, watches the weather, and then sits down at last to write, "Today I took a walk in the woods." Despite a bit of magical realism when Henry gets the groundhogs that are ravaging Emerson's garden to jump into his pocket by tootling his flute, this slice-of-life portrait of a person attuned to, and comfortable in, the entire world around him never comes off as arty or artificial. Nor, though Johnson substitutes clothed bears for humans and paints in a cubist style, do his illustrations. Again, an unassuming, deeply affecting tribute to an essential philosopher and writer. (afterword) 2004, Houghton Mifflin, 32p, $15.00. Category: Picture book. Ages 7 to 9. Starred Review. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cheryl Whitmore Stevens (Library Media Connection, August/September 2005)
A day in the life of Henry David Thoreau is the inspiration for this children's book. Poet, naturalist, and author, Thoreau spent almost two years living by himself on Walden Pond. This book describes how he used that time to learn about nature and people. In this book Henry sets out for a walk, using his previous experiences with nature to help him forecast the weather and find plants for food and health. He also helps his neighbors by giving them tips on seasonal changes and gardening. Along the way he measures the water of a brook as it becomes rain-filled and discovers a patch of huckleberries, good for pies and jellies. When Henry returns home he records his newly acquired knowledge as fodder for his journal. This whimsical book is a good introduction to Thoreau and his work as a naturalist. It would work particularly well as a discussion starter on how Thoreau inspired many modern environmentalists. The bold and angular illustrations are beautifully done and historically accurate (except perhaps for the woodchucks!) They are engaging and filled with details that are newly discovered with every reading. Highly Recommended. 2004, Houghton Mifflin, 32pp., $10.95 hc.

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2004 (Vol. 58, No. 3))
This fourth entry in Johnson's continuing homage to Henry David Thoreau is likely to appeal even to children who care neither for Thoreau nor for the previous titles in the series (Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, BCCB 7/00, etc.) as it treats a subject more readily recognizable and kid-friendly than the others--unappreciated work. Henry begins his day by "walking to work," but in reality, the walk is the start of his work. He checks the weather and finds a foxhole, and he then uses his observations to warn one neighbor to take in her laundry because it's going to rain and another to guard her chickens against foxes. He helps with gardening, puts some crossing stones in the creek, measures the depth of the millstream, and marks the way to a huckleberry bush ripe for picking. All of these important chores go unnoticed by his by-now familiar neighbors--anthropomorphized bears of Transcendentalist fame done up in a cubist style--who assume that he's not doing anything, especially since he ends up where he started, at his cabin. His walk proceeds in a circle around Concord, giving the story a satisfyingly tight narrative trajectory, and Johnson unobtrusively shows the importance of each of Henry's little jobs along the way. The misty weather warrants the graying over of the landscapes that has proved visually unsatisfactory in past offerings; here it works to create a dewy atmosphere for an early morning jaunt. This title offers subtle reassurance that things that don't read like work can be quite important; kids who have had their diligent efforts to keep their worlds in order go unnoticed will feel a kinship with this observant, tireless bear. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Houghton, 32p, $15.00. Ages 5-8 yrs.