Debra Briatico (Children's Literature)
On the first day of kindergarten, Henry’s teacher, Ms. Bradley, announces to the whole class that she will place a jelly bean into a special jar every day until it contains 100 pieces of candy. When they reach their goal, they will celebrate 100 days of kindergarten with a one-of-a-kind party. While the students patiently wait for the big day, they do all kinds of fun activities including coloring pictures, learning new songs, dressing up in costumes for a Halloween parade, having a big Thanksgiving feast, performing a holiday concert, and visiting the school library. In February, the 100th day of school finally arrives and the class celebrates by having a special show and tell--Suzy makes a chain of 100 paper clips, Troy builds a house with 100 popsicle sticks, and Henry surprises everyone by bringing in his great-grandmother Millie, who is 100 years old. After all of the memorable presentations are finished, the twenty students divide up the jelly beans (five each) and enjoy another scrumptious surprise--a big, beautiful cake with 100 candles on it. Young readers will enjoy the colorful cast of animal characters in this charming picture book. The bright, expressive illustrations and engaging text work together to create a wonderful reading experience. This book is perfect for individual, small group or large group read-aloud sessions. Children interested in reading additional kindergarten adventures featuring Carlson’s adorable character Henry, should check out the following titles, Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! and Henry’s Show and Tell. 2004, Viking, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
In his third book, Henry the mouse and his kindergarten classmates busy themselves with a variety of activities, all the while counting up the days of school. On the one hundredth day, when children bring collections of one hundred things to the celebration, Henry brings his one hundred-year-old great-grandmother. Warm, vibrant illustrations give Henry's classroom a friendly, cheerful atmosphere. Category: Preschool. 2005, Viking, 32pp, 15.99. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.