About the Author

Stephen Gammell is the illustrator of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3, as well as many other books. He won the Caldecott Medal for Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman. He also earned Caldecott Honors for Where the Buffaloes Begin by Olaf Baker and The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant.

Reviews

"Gammell's illustrations provide a treat for the eye."--" ALA Booklist"An ode to noncomformity, both touching and humorous."--" Horn Book

Gr 1-3Old Henry , told in verse, relates the interactions of a stubborn individualist and his neighbors in a small town. When Henry moves in to a dilapidated old house, his new neighbors look forward to his fixing it up. When he is content to leave it as it is, his neighbors become upset. The mayor suggests that they try being nice, ``please, try it twice.'' But their efforts are rebuffed. Eventually Henry leaves. While the neighbors begin to question their actions, Henry also realizes he misses them. The story ends with his letter to the mayor seeking a compromise, and younger children may have problems with the lack of closure to the story. Yet the book raises interesting questions about individual freedom versus community responsibility and would be useful for a discussion of these ideas at home or school. Gammell's softly colored pencil drawings give Henry more character than is brought out in the text, with his jaunty railroad cap and mismatched socks. There are no solid blocks of color to be found here. Every surface glows with a prism of hues, as though to emphasize the many facets to be found in both Henry and his neighbors and the world they share. Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library

"Gammell's illustrations provide a treat for the eye."--" ALA Booklist"An ode to noncomformity, both touching and humorous."--" Horn Book