Henry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.
A really cute story that is written for young children to enjoy but even, adults can have fun reading them as well. The little boy, Hank, is adorable. This is my first book, from Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. I very much enjoyed, spending time with young Hank and his family and friends. I would love to read more of these little books and try their other series as well.
My son will not read. It took me a few weeks to convince him to let me read this to him. I had never mentioned the dog. One night I pointed out that there was a dog in the book. We turned a corner. He not only wanted me to read it, he wanted me to point at the words while I read so he could follow. I love Henry Winkler.
Here's Hank: A Short Tale About a Long Dog by Henry Winkler sets Hank on his most important mission yet: to get a dog of his own. He knows that his grades are not the best, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to make his dog dreams a reality.
Entering into a deal with his dad, Hank must improve all of his grades in order to earn a trip to the animal shelter. He is definitely up for the challenge! From studying to creating interactive book reports, Hank is determined to make his grades soar.
When his latest report card falls short, Hank fears that he will never be able to adopt a furry friend. Can he prove to his father that he is responsible enough to handle the challenges of owning a pet? Will he be able to raise his grades and sharpen his focus?
I love this story! I was surprised to discover that the book is written in a font called Dyslexie. This font was created specifically for dyslexic readers by a Dutch graphic designer, Christian Boer, who himself is dyslexic. I found the font very easy to read. I feel that it compliments the story well and looks like a font that a child would have created. This discrete font change will also help dyslexic children read with confidence.
I also found the character of Hank to be charming and hilarious. He mentions to the reader numerous times that he has trouble focusing. I feel like many children (as well as adults) will be able to relate to Hank and his focusing issues. I especially feel that children with ADD and ADHD will gravitate toward Hank and cheer him on in his quest for good grades.
This story also touches my heart because it sheds light on the importance of adopting animals from local shelters. All of my dogs and cats are rescues that have come from various rescue groups and animal shelters. One of my dogs is also Dachshund, so I can definitely relate to Hank's heart-melting moment the day he met Cheerio.
Overall, this is a wonderful read for animal lovers of all ages. I would highly recommend gifting this book to any child who is in the process of adopting a dog.
Having just heard Henry Winkler speak last week, maybe I'm loving this book more than I would otherwise. He is a delightful, engaging, moving speaker and he signed all three of my books with a grin on his face! It is possible that created a little bias.
I haven't read any of the Hank Zipzer series (yet), but I like that Winkler and Oliver have taken us back to Hank as a younger boy with the Here's Hank -- before anyone understands that the reason young Hank has so much trouble in school is because he's dyslexic.
I did find myself unhappy with Hank's dad and how intolerant and impatient he was with Hank. After hearing Mr. Winkler speak, I see that this is an echo of his own upbringing and struggle with dyslexia and a difficult dad. I wanted to grab Mr. Zipzer by the shoulders and scream, "Can't you see he's trying???"
The storyline here is fairly typical: boy wants dog, parents require grades to improve to earn dog, parents cave-in when boy doesn't quite meet the deal requirements, dog mayhem ensues, parents have regrets. The illustrations are great (does anyone else see a little of Flat Stanley in Hank's face??)and the story is entertaining and provides more than a few laughs.
SUPER COOL FEATURE: this book was published in a new font called Dyslexie, which as you might guess, helps dyslexic readers' eyes move across a page more easily. You can read about it at http://www.dyslexiefont.com
Second grader Hank is a nice guy who tries hard but always gets poor grades in school. He has a hard time remembering to do important things, and spelling flash-card work makes no difference. His sister, Emily, has a pet iguana, and Hank would like to get a dog; however, his dad says he can only get a dog if he improves his grades in ALL subjects. The father is tough on Hank, always "making everything fun seem like a life lesson," being quick to blame mishaps and accidents on Hank's lack of responsibility, and thinking Hank is just too "lazy" to do well in school. Many children will see themselves in Hank; could be a good fit for some reluctant readers as well as any first through third grader who is interested.
I love this book! First of all, the dyslexie font is brilliant. Incredible!
Then there's the story... could it be any cuter? I thought about my puppy the whole time I was reading and the relationship between Hank and Cheerio was adorable. For it being such simple reading (perfect for an average second grader, I'd guess), there was such depth to the story and characters. Such real-life ideas about how much work a dog is, and very funny, too!
I'm excited to be able to introduce the Here's Hank series to kids when they aren't quite ready for the Hank Zipzer books. Awesome! :)
Big disappointment. The type-face is an interesting element. It's supposed to be easier to read for kids with dyslexia. I'm not sure how well-researched that claim is, though.
The story itself has a few problems. Has anyone ever talked to Henry Winkler about his father issues? They come out in this book. The father is a one-dimensional character whose purpose is to be wrong and say "no".
The other problem is the failed attempt at humor. The one liners are tired and don't relate to the current generation of kids. It was pretty boring.
Second grader Hank desperately wants a dog but has to raise his grades for his father to say yes. He gets creative to achieve this and then has to prove he can be responsible enough to take care of the dog. This book is written with humor and heart, you’ll be rooting for Hank. *written in the font Dyslexie*
Fun book about a boy trying to convince his dad to let him get a dog. Wow, the text is so easy on the eyes and I love that the font was designed to help words stay anchored on the page to make it more readable for dyslexic readers.
I was going to rate this 3 stars as I did not appreciate Papa Pete's message about finding what you are good at and allowing the rest to slip, but in the end, Hank's dad did not give in; he still expected Hank to improve his grades.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Pretty good story about a 2nd grade boy who tries really hard to do well in school. He makes a deal if he improve, he can get a puppy. See what happens.
Really awesome kids book series. Much more pleasant and "clean" than the Wimpy Kid (don't have to sterilize mean dialogue between kids/siblings or "potty talk"). My 3yr old and 5yr old boys love Hank stories. Henry Winkler as the audiobook narrator makes it enjoyable for adults too.
I found myself screaming inwardly "Tell him. . . tell him what really happened!" when Hank buttoned up in talking to his dad about the dog situation! Nothing like getting involved with your books!
This series is keeping our youngest boy ENTERTAINED, ENGAGED AND EAGER to keep reading!!!! We are excited to start each new week because that means we are starting with a new Here's Hank book! This one was funny and a quick read. Have you ever had your child beg for a pet? Are you a dog lover? If so, this is a must read with your child! Once again, full of humor, family dilemmas and cooperation...I just love how Henry Winkler writea these books for kids! For those of you who have reluctant readers or children with dyslexia you cannot go wrong with Here's Hank!