Florence Parry Heide (1919–2011)

Gideon had a very nice life - nice parents, a nice home, nice toys - but he wanted something more. He wanted to be a hero. Unfortunately, all of the fairy-tales he had read - stories like Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella - had heroes who simply showed up at the right time and place, without doing anything particularly remarkable. So what made a hero, and how could he become one...?

I'm bemused to note that some online reviewers of How To Be a Hero have deplored its message, arguing show more that it reinforces masculine and white privilege, when I think one of the central ideas in the text is how ill-served young boys are by many traditional tales. Plenty of people complain about stories like Cinderella and the messages they send to young girls - the passivity of the heroine, the idea of finding one's prince being the ultimate end-goal, etc. - without ever thinking about the poor messages they send young boys. As Gideon reflects about what it takes to be a hero, the qualities he'd like to emulate - strength, bravery, cleverness - don't seem to be required, leaving him at something of a loss. His determination to be mindful is admirable, but humorously undercut by his obliviousness in the final scenes, in which he doesn't notice a baby in need of saving. Here perhaps, in the artwork, we can see where the above mentioned critiques might have some justification, although I think the critics may have missed the fact that the artist is deliberately creating a satirical counter-narrative to the text in his illustrations, and that the artwork itself may be a commentary on the issues they have raised. I'd be curious to know illustrator Chuck Groenink's thought process, in expanding upon author Florence Parry Heide's text. I'd also be interested in Heide's reaction, although that won't be forthcoming, since this one was published posthumously.

Leaving aside questions of messages, implicit or otherwise, How To Be a Hero struck me as a quirky and amusing book, although I'm not sure the younger picture-book set will be able to appreciate some of the irony it employs. show less

This miniature book, illustrated by Edward Gorey, is a pure delight punctuated with laugh-out-loud moments. An interview with the author enriches the story: "And because I had been looking for an idea for a new book, I thought what about a mother who keeps saying That's nice, dear, no matter what's happening." And later, upon seeing a neighbor boy she hadn't seen in a while: "Oh, for heaven's sake, of COURSE he's grown, don't sound so surprised. Surprised would be if he'd grown smaller."

A show more boy named Treehorn is shrinking, but the adults around him - parents, bus driver, teacher, principal - either ignore or deny his predicament or don't take him seriously. When Treehorn discovers a way to reverse his shrinking (a board game he'd sent away for from the back of a cereal box), everyone is relieved - so when he turns green, he decides, "I don't think I'll tell anyone...If I don't say anything, they won't notice."

See also: Imogene's Antlers by David Small

"Guess they couldn't think of any other name, once they thought of Treehorn." (bus driver, 38) show less

I really loved this book for the simple concept it centers around. It is simply a book that lists common fears that a growing child might face. The fears range from irrational to completely common. I would have loved this book as a child because I would've felt less alone about my fears. This book would be absolutely perfect for the young children who have a hard time vocalizing their fears about the world around them. This book also reinforces the idea that scary things are totally normal show more and part of growing up is learning deal with these fears. In fact, the last page says that knowing you'll become a grown up is scary. This is such an important, comforting message for adjusting children who feel an overwhelming sense of pressure when it comes to growing older. show less

Brilliant, and funny for grown-ups too. It was an important book to me as a child and I have to wonder just how much it's unconsciously affected me. I'm a civil servant and the problems Treehorn faces are very much like mine. If you point out a problem you get a set of responses very much like Treehorn gets, and eventually, if you want something done, you have to do it yourself (though in real life sometimes they try to stop you). It grinds you down. I am literally fourteen inches shorter show more than when I started 9 years ago. I've reached the stage now where if everything turned green I wouldn't bother mentioning it. show less