Henry's Map

by David Elliot

A fun-filled introduction to maps through the eyes of an adorable pig

Henry is a very particular sort of pig. "A place for everything and everything in its place," he always says. But when he looks out his window he is troubled. The farm is a mess!  Henry is worried that nobody will be able to find anything in this mess. So he draws a map showing all the animals exactly where they belong.  And Henry embarks on a journey through the farm, his friends tagging along as he creates his map: sheep in the woolshed, chickens in the coop, the horse in the stable. After the map is complete, Henry uses it to bring himself back home, where he is relieved to know that he is exactly where he belongs. A place for everything and everything in its place, indeed.

For fans of Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth or of Winnie the Pooh, this sweet romp through the farm is adorably illustrated by David Elliot, who created the endearing animals who inhabit Brian Jacques world of Redwall.  Perfect for pre-schoolers and elemetary-schoolers learning to read maps for the first time.

Praise for Henry's Map:

*** �With appealing characters and gentle humor, this book will be a hit at storytime, or as an introduction to mapping lessons.” —School Library Journal *** (starred)
 
*** �Here’s hoping for many more Henry-centric adventures.” —Kirkus Reviews ***  (starred)
 
�Elliot’s barnyard animals brim with personality and emotion, matching the understated humor of this charming story.” —Publisher’s Weekly
 
�This story may even inspire budding cartographers to map their own world.” —Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Maps, Humor, Geography, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2013

About the author

David Elliot is an award-winning illustrator and author who has achieved international success. After working as a zookeeper (Edinburgh Zoo), dishwasher (the Antarctic), interior designer and art teacher, in 1998 he became a full-time illustrator. David is a graduate of the Christchurch College of Education, and earned a Fine Arts Diploma from the University of Canterbury.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why are ppl labeling Henry OCD just because he likes to be organized and tidy? OCD is a serious mental disease, and being organized and tidy are valuable life skills!!

Also, the 'twist' is not to be mocked. Maps are difficult to understand. I would not even try to teach a 3 yo about them (doesn't anyone read Piaget anymore?). Once a 5 yo begins to understand the concept, there are still likely to be stumbling blocks to full comprehension. The misunderstanding of the barnyard animals is just one such obstacle, be prepared for other confusions.

[Abbie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bea loved this one ❤️

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming book about a pig who decides to map the farm on which he lives. Young children may not get the concept that the animals are on the hill looking down on the farm and therefore not on the map but older children will see the humor of it. A simple introduction to maps with delightful illustrations.

[Rachael Hedger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to introduce mapping our world. Henry bucks the trend in his tidy pigsty and feels the need to organise his fellow farm animals into his own visual representation. This book already had a good theme but then Henry started drawing and that made it 10 times better because any book that encourages drawing to make sense of the world is automatically brilliant in my mind.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My three year old's been struggling with the concept of maps lately (seriously, that is really hard to explain to someone!), so when I saw this on the library display I thought we'd give it a try. Henry the pig decides to draw a map of his farm and includes all the farm animals on it, to their delight. When they all climb a hill to look down on the farm and compare it to the map, everyone is alarmed that there are no animals on the farm though there are animals on the map.

It worked for my son in the sense that it helped him understand the concept of a map to show how things are relative to other things (and the inclusion of Henry's actual map helped with this), but the twist at the end where the animals expect to look down on themselves and don't has confused him a bit. Maybe that concept is still too advanced for him? Or maybe it's just muddying up the waters of something he's only now understanding. Either way, he still enjoys the book and I'm glad we found something to get the map thing across.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a sty is a mess, and pigs are seen as messy, but this pig is different. Henry likes order, and to keep things ordered, and help others know the place of things, he draws maps. The maps are given close-ups to the side of the main illustrations and are done in a doodle style, after all pigs have no thumbs. As Henry draws his map of where the animals live, the animals follow him, thereby making the map already obsolete. When the animals realize they themselves are missing, they rush back. The idea is that everything has its place, which is true in itself, everyone does have a place that is right for them to be, but the story takes it to the extreme. In Henry's mind that is the only place each creature should be, rather than like a home base.
The style is cheerfully done in watercolours, which nicely represent the simple farm and its animals.

[Susan Huddleston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Text to Teach

Henry’s Map is a simple little book that would be great to introduce students to maps. Prior to reading the book, the teacher would ask the students if they knew what a map was and what they were used for. The teacher could ask if they had ever seen anyone use a map when traveling. Of course, everyone has GPS now so they may have not seen a map being used. After reading the book, the teacher would have the students draw their own map of the school with places like the office, the library, cafeteria, playground, and their classroom on it. They would need to put landmarks on it, like a tree, or the water fountain, a statue, or anything else that would let someone know they were on the right track when using the map.

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry the pig sets out to make a map showing where all the animals belong on the farm. When they all go to the top of the hill to look at the map, the animals wonder where they all went. They rush back and are relieved when all are in the right place. The pencil and watercolor illustrations highlight the humor and delight of this charming story. Reviewer 11.

[Wanda]

15 JUL 2014 -- Really?! Just one look at Henry's sweet face and I am dead from the cute. How can I not want to read about Henry's Map? Top of the to-be-bought list.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

How funny is this, to have a book about Henry the pig, a most particular pig with an orderly mind! He prefers -- and kind of demands -- for everything to be just so: a place for everything and everything in its place.

Henry winds up making a map of his farm, while his friends follow him appreciatively.

Drawings (also by David Elliot, in addition to the book concept and the text): They're whimsical and outright funny. In addition, to my taste, these illustrations are just beautiful. Including the scribbly portions related to creating a map....

GOODREADERS, I CAN'T IMAGINE BETTER PICTURES FOR A PICTURE BOOK LIKE THIS

A.A. Milne's classics, like "Now We Are Six," likely deserve their legions of followers. Yet the text and the drawings at Pooh Corner... always left me cold.

Whereas these cheeky and bold and so-funny drawings: They're right for me in temperature, style, and everything else.

FIVE STARS of admiration. Especially exciting is how this book may educate children in starting to map their world. And what a game-changer in life that could be!

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My granddaughter wanted to hear this twice…she’s a map lover and the childlike drawings of Henry the pig appealed to her, along with the irony of the animals looking at the empty farm from the top of the hill and not finding the animals (themselves) shown on map. A quick run down the hill and a reverse trip through the map set their minds at rest. “A place for everything and everything in its place”

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adorable story. Henry the pig was bothered that the farm was messy, so he made a map to show the animals where everything belonged on the farm. They were excited and followed him everywhere he went as he drew it, but when they looked at the farm - it was empty! Funny and satisfying story with fun illustrations.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry makes a map of the farm -- all the buildings and all the animals. When the animals together climb a hill to verify the map, they realize that none of the animals on the map are where the map says they will be. So, they all run back to their places.
Very silly, but also a nice intro to maps.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry puts all the buildings and landmarks of the farm on his map, but he also puts the animals, and they move!

Fun and silly intro to maps -- what they're for and how we use them, but also some of the trickier bits.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the neat little pig, Henry, decides to draw a map of the farm he lives on, he leaves his sty and ends up with an entire entourage of other farm animals following him as he adds each animal's home to his map.

This was one of the cutest picture books that I've read to my two year old this year.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight, the story of Henry and his friends is one that captivates you with beautiful illustrations and a story that will touch your heart.

[Caitlin Channer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, being a little bit of an obsessive organizer myself. :)

[Kalley the Chipmunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give it 5 stars or more because there was a clydesdale picture. I just got to pet a clydesdale. I named him Dexter.

[Zoey the Squirrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a very good book. But we found the map. The animals didn't know why they were on the map but not on the farm but it was because they were on the hill looking.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny book. It’s a little on the long side, text-wise, but I read this to an elementary school student and we giggled over the silliness. Henry is a great character.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love a good map tale.

[CarrieLooLoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Elliot's characters are always so endearing. I love his stories and adorable illustrations.

[D'Anne Mosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Map skills
Map making

[Nanny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Made me laugh when the animals realize something is missing from the map.

[Richard Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sweet book on order, belonging, and including everyone. We all need books that are positive and celebrate accomplishments.

[Colorado Buck · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pig sees a pig in the stars and then the sheep sea sheep the horse sees a horse. The cow sees a cow. It’s about finding different shapes and figure figures in the stars.

[Alice Streatfeild · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this as a starter for a geography lesson on world book day for a lesson with a year 3/4 class. A pig creates a map - what more could you want? The pig is Henry.

The map has problems, though what I like is the story draws on this. The pig effectively likes to know where things are and where they live, and to write it down. It is a great way to talk about why maps include permanent features. The illustrations are a mixture of ones which tell the story and of the map that Henry has drawn. What I love about the latter is that it is a childlike map. It invites a child to create their own map, and makes it clear that it is not about a map being a great drawing or something that is entirely out of reach, it provides a model that can be used in class.

The story effectively picks up a few themes about sketch maps, titles, labelling, permanence and aerial view. Also gives a hint about why they are useful. These can all be brought into a lesson as sucess criteria for any map that is created.

Another element which is a lovely touch is the end paper shows what the farmyard looks like so you could discuss how the map compares to it. It could also then be an activity for children to then create their own version.

The picture book could also be used in English for a younger class in comprehension, they could make predictions about what will happen, or indeed what else could be on the farm. Should it be possible, it could also be used as part of a wider scheme of work about farming, perhaps being read to children before going on a school visit to a farm alongisde wider non-fiction texts about farming.

[Marisol Sanchez-Matias · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute! Henry wanted to design a map of the farm. I would use this in my classroom when introducing the concept of maps, having them design their own map of their neighborhood, town, or home.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry was a pig who believed in being neat and tidy with everything in its place. So when he looked out from his very clean sty, he was bothered by the messiness of the farmyard. He decided to make a map, so that everyone could find things on the farm. That meant he had to travel around the farm and write things down. He included the sheep and the woolshed, Abigail the cow with her tree, Mr. Brown the horse and his stable, and the chicken coop. Then all of the animals climbed up a nearby hill to look down on the farm and compare it to Henry’s map. But when they looked closely, none of them were where they were marked on the map! Luckily though, they all knew right where they belonged thanks to the map and back they all went, even Henry.

Elliot has a feel for writing picture books. His pacing is delightful, the storyline is dynamic but not frenetic, and the characters are personable and ones that you want to befriend. Henry is a little pig with a big vision, and there is satisfaction in him completing a big project on his own. Elliot also nicely navigates having just the right amount of text on the page, enough to tell a full story but not too much to overwhelm or bog it down. Add the twist of the animals being alarmed at not being in the same place as the map tells them they should be, and you have a very strong read.

Elliot is the artist behind the Brian Jacques series of books. Here his art has a wonderful playfulness but also a timelessness. This book is beautifully illustrated with lots of jolly characters and one very serious pig. The map itself looks like something a child would make complete with drawings and misspellings.

A top pick, this picture book is perfect for map units in preschool and elementary school. It also makes a fun addition to any farm or pig story time. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Henry the Pig goes on a mission when he realizes the farmyard outside his nice and neat pig sty is, well, very UNclean and UNorganized! He decides to create a map to help all his neighbors know how to stay neat and organized.

A curriculum connection for this book would be to use it with a younger audience in a lesson about the benefits of keeping areas organized and neat.

I need to preface this by saying there’s not a lot of content value to the book (no morals learned here!) but it did make me laugh and I enjoyed the adorable watercolor illustrations of the main character, a pig named Henry. Henry finds comfort in order, and when he notices the farmyard around him is without any order, he decides to draw a map to bring some organization to his surroundings. His fellow farm animals take to the idea and hilarity ensues when they go to the top of a hill to compare the map to their farm, see that they are not in their proper places on the map and run back to fix the situation. Their panic is comical and I can see a very young group of children loving the silliness of it. It would be nice to use to discuss the value of having, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

This book is David Elliot’s first book as both an author and illustrator and I think his watercolor characters will be charming to a young audience.

The intended audience for this book would be a young one, kindergarten and first graders.