Henry Cole (1) (1955–)

Marvelously talented author/artist Henry Cole, whose work ranges from middle-grade novels such as A Nest for Celeste to picture-books like On Meadowview Street, turns in this wordless story to the themes of ecological awareness and the love of family. Following the "life" of the little paper bag, the visual narrative here begins in the forest, depicts the creation of the bag at a paper factory, and then chronicles how it is used and reused by three generations of the family that eventually show more comes to possess it. Put to use during many important moments in this family's life, the bag is finds its final purpose after the death of the beloved grandfather - the man who originally owned it - planted in the ground with a young sapling...

Like his earlier Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad and Spot, the Cat, Cole's One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey manages to tell an engaging story entirely through the artwork. Beautifully detailed, the pen and ink illustrations here capture all of the resources and effort that went into the creation of this one little bag, and all of the emotional ups and downs of the people who eventually come to own the bag. As Cole mentions in his afterword, this story was inspired by a paper bag that he himself used for three years, to carry his lunch to school, and its is meant to offer a vision of a world in which we humans have rejected the wastefulness of single-use, disposable objects. I am entirely in sympathy with that idea, and I also found the family story here by turns poignant and heartwarming. Highly recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy wordless stories, and to anyone searching for children's books promoting ecological awareness, and the careful use of resources, both large and small. show less

Omg. What a wonderful education in backyard natural history I just had! *This* is the book I wanted when I was a child. I always wanted to know butterflies beyond Monarchs and Painted Ladies, and bugs beyond mosquito and grasshopper. etc... and never had anything nearly as accessible as this. And here I am, over four decades on, and only now finding out that there are many different kinds of ladybugs that could all be found in the same region!

Now we have the internet, of course. But a child show more won't find this information online if s/he isn't inspired to look for it. And this book is beautiful and entertaining, and will provide that inspiration. And for the youngest lap-sitters, just read the verse until they ask "What's that?" and they'll still be getting a good read. Author's note included. If you can find a scrap of earth in which to plant a little garden, buy this book for your nephew or grand-daughter.... show less

Eddie the chicken bullies his classmates mercilessly, saying nasty things and playing mean pranks at every turn. Universally disliked, he is even unpopular with the teachers, who frequently give him a time out for his bad behavior. Then one day a new student, Carla the pig, arrives at school, and before Eddie has a chance to launch into yet another malicious and hurtful campaign, Carla's friendliness and trust in his good nature have disarmed him...

I have seen Eddie the Bully criticized as show more unrealistic, when it comes to the social dynamic of bullying. The argument runs that bullies are often the popular ones, enabled by peers and teachers alike, rather than being unhappy or disliked, and I think there is definitely something to that argument, in many cases. On the other hand, I do believe that our expectations, whether conscious or not, when entering new social situations, can have a profound influence on how our first interactions with peers or colleagues unfold. I vividly recall my first professional encounter with a boss who was, unbeknownst to me, universally disliked in my new work place. Because I had no preconceptions about her, nor any expectation that she would mistreat me, I reacted with pleasure at seeing her, and displayed no nervousness when speaking to her. From that day forward, my relationship with her was quite pleasant, something quite unusual at that particular job, and something which I attribute (at least partially) to our positive first interaction. So while I understand the critique offered of the "bully reformed by kindness" narrative here, I do think there is some truth to it, in some situations.

Leaving that question aside, I found the story in Eddie the Bully entertaining, and thought the colorful, cartoon-style artwork was both amusing and engaging. Cole has a talent for creating expressive animal characters, and that is definitely on display here. Recommended (with the caveat, discussed above, that it may not fit every scenario) to anyone looking for children's stories about bullying, and about positive methods to address bullies. I liked Cole's afterword, in which he shared the real-life story form his own childhood upon which his book is based. show less

This powerful story, told entirely through Henry Cole's gorgeously detailed pencil artwork, is not a history of the Underground Railroad so much as a brief and very personal vignette from that period of history. Opening as a young farm girl leads the family cow toward the barn, and a troupe of Confederate soldiers is riding past, Unspoken follows the girl as she discovers an unseen stranger hiding in the stored corn, and begins to help him (or her), by providing food and keeping his secret. show more When a group of bounty-hunters eventually arrives, the girl watches them from her secret hiding place before making her way to the barn, where she discovers that the runaway slave she has been sheltering has moved on, but has left behind a beautiful gift for her.

Although I would agree with those reviewers who have maintained that this is not a suitable book for explaining the Underground Railroad to younger children, I do think it would make an excellent supplemental title, in the study of the period. True, there is nothing in the visual narrative that identifies the fugitive - we never see him or her (it's interesting to note that so many people assume it is a he), and although there are visual clues that he/she is a slave, it is not explicitly depicted - but then, this struck me less as a didactic tale about the escape from slavery, and more as a depiction of one girl's emotional journey, as she empathizes with the runaway, and comes to his aid. In that sense, it is a triumph, as Cole's artwork brilliantly captures the girl's emotional state, her fear and watchfulness in particular. Does this story stand very well on its own, with little or no knowledge of the Underground Railroad? No. Will it function as a gateway to thinking about the lived experiences of people involved in the Underground Railroad, for young readers who already know a little bit about the topic? Absolutely! show less