Justin Roberts (1)

An aspiring magician with an eye for the wonder around him, young Henry Hopendower wakes one sunny day, takes his brown suitcase full of magic tricks, and heads out to set up a show for his stuffed animals. In the process he recalls his beloved grandfather, who taught him everything he knows about magic, and about keeping an eye out for it everywhere he goes...

Although it only addresses the subject obliquely, it is clear from the narrative of The Great Henry Hopendower that this is a story show more of loss. Clearly Henry's grandfather has passed away, making his devotion to magic, and determination to find it in the world around him, all rather poignant. I liked the idea, implicit in the story, that we can find solace after the death of a loved one by devoting ourselves to an activity that we shared with them. The artwork here, created by Deborah Hocking using watercolor, graphite, colored pencil and Photoshop, was absolutely lovely. I particularly liked the scene in which Henry and his grandfather sit together in the grandfather's library. This is only her second book, so I will definitely keep an eye out for more of her work. Recommended to all young would-be magicians, and to anyone looking for picture-books addressing loss, grief and (hopefully) recovery. show less

I adored this sweet story about a small, often ignored little girl who notices absolutely everything, including the unkind acts of her peers. She finally finds her voice and the results are so sweet. A great book for early elementary. Made me and my coworker cry at the desk here at the library ;)

Summary: This story was very creatively written and illustrated and highlighted noticing the little things in life that most people might not think to notice. The story was about a girl who was very small, and she was often looked passed but she had a gift for noticing the little things. Eventually, she takes a stance at lunch and she announces that she is done tolerating the mean behavior she sees everyday among the students. This book has a sweet and satisfying ending, and the overall show more message it promotes is important.
Comments: I thought that this story was humorous and fun and I loved how it jumped from one descriptive scene to the next through each page. It was a great addition that the author made everyone in the school look different and special. This promotes the message of self acceptance, showing that we are all unique and different in our own beautiful ways and that is special. show less

I really enjoyed this book for its wonderful extra textual features and apparent theme, so I would rate it five stars. The book rhymed so it was really easy to stay engaged. For example “When Billy paused briefly to open the door for Mrs. O’Connell and seventeen more.” There were vivid illustrations from the characters point of view, she’s super tiny so everything is drawn massive and tall compared to her. There are also clear explanations as to how small she actually is. The show more “smallest girl in the smallest grade” is extremely petite so no one notices her, yet she notices everything, especially bullying of her peers. She’s tired of witnessing so much negativity so she speaks up in attempt to put an end to the bullying. Her fellow students decide she’s right and begin to be nice to one another from now on. The theme of the book is the smallest people can make the biggest impact, and I think that’s very important for children to know. This little girl did what she thought was right and good came out of it. “And now the world can transform and a change could be made by the smallest girl in the smallest grade.” show less