Henry's Sunbathe ¦ Henry's Garden

Welcome back to some old friends! These colourful picture books, with simple stories about Henry the elephant, were out of print but are now back in a larger format.

In Henry's Sunbathe, Henry tries to get sunburnt all over. Yes, the plot is simple and direct but the child is probably learning words like 'glow' and 'tingle' and later coming across 'behind', 'in front', 'under' - words which are not so easy to learn, but in the context of Henry's sunbathing their meaning is clear.

Henry's Garden is another simple story but a good one too. He plants seeds, waters them and waits for them to grow. A little worm tells him they take a long time (one of things that small children find hard to bear) but of course eventually the seeds do grow and become flowers. Both stories are highly recommended with their clear text and humorous bright illustrations.