Henry Bear's Park

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 1. A revamped design and larger, more colorful artwork showcase a story familiar to readers of the 1976 edition. After Henry Bear's father takes off in his hot-air balloon, Henry finds satisfaction in tending his park and living in his cozy tree house. Still, Henry longs to see his father again and even comes to believe that a certain pig can help find him. The more he focuses on his father, the more Henry neglects the park. Only after Henry learns that the pig is a charlatan does his father return. Nearly twice as large as the original edition, which was illustrated with detailed pen-and-ink drawings, the new book features the same pictures enlarged and tinted with watercolors. The size of the pictures and the depth of the colors create a more magical and more convincing dream world for Henry to inhabit. A beautiful new setting for this strange, haunting story. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
When Henry Bear's father notices a for sale sign over the entrance to the park at the edge of town, he decides that he must buy it. No sooner does he buy the park than it is time for him to fly away in his balloon, leaving Henry in charge. At first Henry, along with his new friend Stanley, loves taking care of the park, but slowly he starts to miss his father and begins to neglect his work. The flowers wilt, the fountain water turns green, the nightingale stops singing, and still Henry's father doesn't return. Where can he be? With newly colored illustrations that enhance the charm of acclaimed illlustrator David McPhail's original line art, this is a beautiful new edition of a story that has been loved by children for more than twenty-five years.

Card catalog description
Henry Bear plans to search for his father, who left a park in Henry's care when he went off in a hot air balloon.

About the Author
David McPhail has been drawing since he was two years old. He received his formal art training at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, but started out drawing on walls and paper bags as a child. He is the illustrator of more than fifty books for children. He currently resides in Rye, New Hampshire.


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When Henry Bear's Poppa flies away in a hot air balloon, he is awfully sad. He finds some comfort in taking good care of the town park his Poppa bought before leaving. Henry transforms the lackluster park into a lush garden. He employs a raccoon named Stanley to help him water and weed and mow the lawns. Lonely Mamma Bear brings Henry and Stanley jelly cakes for lunch each day. As time goes by, Henry thinks more and more about Poppa and less and less about the garden. When he meets a pig named Alfred Pine, who claims to be well traveled, Henry assumes he knows where Poppa is and begs him to reunite the two. Alfred desperately wants to be liked and, so, he lets Henry go on believing and hoping that he can bring father and son back together. Lovely detailed illustrations bring the characters to life; the scenes depict a small, old-fashioned English village inhabited by well mannered, chubby animals. The village has a main street, small cottages, a church, bake shop, and Henry's Park, which beckons residents to leave their cares at the gate. This new edition of a story first published in 1976 features newly colored illustrations of the author/illustrator's original line art. 2003 (orig.1976), Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster,


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