Henry Climbs a Mountain

Henry wants to climb a mountain, and nothing is going to stop him. Then Sam, the tax collector, puts him in jail for not paying his taxes. Henry refuses to pay to a state that allows slavery. But being locked up doesn't stop Henry. He still gets to splash in rivers, swing from trees, and meet a stranger. This bear, modeled on the real Henry David Thoreau, roams free.

Johnson tells the story of a mountain climbing bear, Henry, who is thrown in to jail for refusing to pay his taxes in a state that allows slavery. In jail, Henry uses his imagination to climb an imaginary mountain.
"Henry Climbs a Mountain" is a great personification of Henry David Thoreau. The book promotes standing up for what you believe in and making the most of your circumstances. A great addition to any classroom, this book provokes powerful conversation about global issues like social justice and causes readers to consider their individual response.

This book's aim (teaching young children about the concept of civil disobediance and what led Henry David Thoreau to go to jail rather than pay taxes to a government that sanctioned slavery) is laudible. But I found that it doesn't really succeed in bridging the conceptual gap of a five year old trying to make sense of tax-collectors and slavery. It might work better for older children who don't disdain picture books.

D.B. Johnson has written another lovely tale following his succesful Henry Hiles to Fitchburg. Henry is on his way to pick up his shoe at the cobbler's when he is thrown into jail for not paying his taxes. This is a true story. He refuses to pay because he does not believe in slavery. With whimsical illustrations, we join Henry in his "hike".

Johnson again is able to depict the simple and optimistic ways of life that the Transcendentalists and Henry David Thoreau lived. This short children's book combines so many themes into its pages. For example, the way Henry uses his imagination to set himself free shows that having a positive attitude can help in not so fun situations. Also, Henry refuses to pay money for something he does not believe in. Although this turns out okay for him in the end, it is important to inform students about why Henry did this. This book would be a bit difficult to incorporate into a middle school or high school class, although it may help students understand how Henry David Thoreau lived.

This book is a fun, imaginative rendition of the life of Henry David Thoreau. The story features a bear as the title character, who is locked in jail for a night after refusing to pay his taxes. This book would be appropriate for a younger audience because it uses simple words and short sentences, and the pictures are colorful and detailed. It also includes a short blurb about the real Henry, which could be useful for a nonfiction source about Thoreau.

A brief recount of Henry David Thoreau's one night in jail, this book depicts Henry as a bear who gets thrown in jail for not paying his taxes. During his time there, he begins to draw scenes of the outdoors, and the drawing comes to life, taking him on an adventure over the top of a mountain before he returns back to hi jail cell the next morning.