What do you think?
Rate this book
Henry's Quest
A small kingdom based on the principles of King Arthur's Round Table sends out its knights on a quest for the legendary substance called gasoline
33 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Graham Oakley
53 books26 followersGraham Oakley is a children's book author and illustrator, most active during the 1960s to 1980s. He is best known for the Church Mice series and also illustrated many book covers in the 60s.
For the current UK author of children's books at Top That! press see Graham Oakley.
For the current UK author of children's books at Top That! press see Graham Oakley.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 11, 2018
My goodness, what an absolutely astounding book. I've been a fan of Graham Oakley's witty, beautiful picture books since I was an infant and have been seeking out his less famous works ever since. This one is by far the most striking, and now my favourite of his non-Church Mice books.
It's just such a fascinating idea, one I would not expect in a picture book. His usual style of lots of hidden ideas in his detailed paintings which juxtapose the text for humorous effect has never been better utilised.
It's set in a sort of post apocalyptic world (each picture shows how our modern world has become overgrown and forgotten) in a simple village where the king is obesssed with Arthurian legends because it's the only book left. Our hero Henry, who loves fairy tales because that is the other only book that exists, leaves on a quest to find the magic petrol so that he can marry the king's daughter.
I'm not entirely sure if this book is supposed to be aimed at kids - there appears to be a porno movie theatre in one picture - and the whole story has a dark edge to it. But then it has the familiar delightful dry wit that appears in Oakley's books and it's published by Macmillan Children's Books so I guess it must be. The pictures really are a delight as by exploring them, the reader will learn more than the text lets on. For example when Henry enters what he thinks is a fairytale castle, we can see it is actually an old safari park, and he should definitely not go in there! The reader is repaid for their attention by understanding why Henry is then beset by wild beasts. There are so many other lovely superfluous details that add depth and magic to the story, like an old TV being used to house animals. While some picture books often veer towards artistic rather than fun, this one gets to be awing, imaginative and dark while still retaining a delightful cheery sense of humour.
It's a really fascinating, surprising book and I wish a lot more people could discover it.
It's just such a fascinating idea, one I would not expect in a picture book. His usual style of lots of hidden ideas in his detailed paintings which juxtapose the text for humorous effect has never been better utilised.
It's set in a sort of post apocalyptic world (each picture shows how our modern world has become overgrown and forgotten) in a simple village where the king is obesssed with Arthurian legends because it's the only book left. Our hero Henry, who loves fairy tales because that is the other only book that exists, leaves on a quest to find the magic petrol so that he can marry the king's daughter.
I'm not entirely sure if this book is supposed to be aimed at kids - there appears to be a porno movie theatre in one picture - and the whole story has a dark edge to it. But then it has the familiar delightful dry wit that appears in Oakley's books and it's published by Macmillan Children's Books so I guess it must be. The pictures really are a delight as by exploring them, the reader will learn more than the text lets on. For example when Henry enters what he thinks is a fairytale castle, we can see it is actually an old safari park, and he should definitely not go in there! The reader is repaid for their attention by understanding why Henry is then beset by wild beasts. There are so many other lovely superfluous details that add depth and magic to the story, like an old TV being used to house animals. While some picture books often veer towards artistic rather than fun, this one gets to be awing, imaginative and dark while still retaining a delightful cheery sense of humour.
It's a really fascinating, surprising book and I wish a lot more people could discover it.
January 2, 2020
2012: If you like all the teenage dystopian/post-apocalyptic books that have been coming out lately, you should read this to your kids. I'm thinking ages 7+ would get the most out of it; most of it went over my five-year-old's head.
In this book, Henry the shepherd goes on a quest to win the hand of the princess. His goal: to find some gasoline and bring it back to the king, so he can run his collection of old cars. The problem is that no one even knows what gasoline looks like.
My favorite part of this book is the creative illustrations making our present-day technologies into more primitive, more rustic fixtures. Incredible.
2020 update: I read the copy of available on Open Library, and disappointingly, the outer edges of the pages were cut off, which made it a bit hard to read. The book is still completely unique and worth a look, though, even with a few words missing.
In this book, Henry the shepherd goes on a quest to win the hand of the princess. His goal: to find some gasoline and bring it back to the king, so he can run his collection of old cars. The problem is that no one even knows what gasoline looks like.
My favorite part of this book is the creative illustrations making our present-day technologies into more primitive, more rustic fixtures. Incredible.
2020 update: I read the copy of available on Open Library, and disappointingly, the outer edges of the pages were cut off, which made it a bit hard to read. The book is still completely unique and worth a look, though, even with a few words missing.
May 26, 2025
This short picture book is a delightful satire on a fairy tale. Young shepherd Henry, to win the hand of the fair princess, is sent on a dangerous quest to bring back the mythical PETROL.
The prose is played deadpan straight with a laconic voice that calls to mind Arthurian legend or Grimm's Fairy Tales. But it is the artwork that really brings the story to life. Oakley's imaginative illustrations are full of detail (the kind that shows more the longer you look) and small jokes shared with the reader.
It is said that a picture paints a thousand words and in this case the saying is true: despite only a scant handful of paragraphs, the pictures give the story a depth that the text deliberately skips over and provide both the moral and a comment on the inevitable repetition of history for those who fail to learn from past mistakes.
A wonderful book for all ages - even those adults who think they've outgrown picture books.
The prose is played deadpan straight with a laconic voice that calls to mind Arthurian legend or Grimm's Fairy Tales. But it is the artwork that really brings the story to life. Oakley's imaginative illustrations are full of detail (the kind that shows more the longer you look) and small jokes shared with the reader.
It is said that a picture paints a thousand words and in this case the saying is true: despite only a scant handful of paragraphs, the pictures give the story a depth that the text deliberately skips over and provide both the moral and a comment on the inevitable repetition of history for those who fail to learn from past mistakes.
A wonderful book for all ages - even those adults who think they've outgrown picture books.
November 24, 2018
So the other week a patron was looking for a book she remembered from the 1970s or ‘80s, something about a picture book in which the children of the future were digging up ancient relics of the long past 20th century after a nuclear war or environmental disaster, but couldn’t remember the name or author. This was one of the possibilities I discovered in the search, though it turned out not to be it. While unfortunately in this case I wasn’t able to track down exactly what fit her long faded memories, Henry’s Quest definitely looked interesting, so I consider that a success.
Published in the UK back in 1986, Henry’s Quest is a picture book following the quest of the shepherd boy Henry to search for the legendary substance known as gasoline (this was obviously the American edition) in order to power the antique car collection of his local king and win the hand of his daughter. It is definitely a product of its times but also remains, sadly, relevant.
I feel that the artwork is definitely what draws one into the book. Visions of a neo-Medieval post-apocalyptic England with fortresses nestled in old transmission towers and villages inside airliners, complete with little smoke stacks coming out of the windows and pigeon coops in the turbines, was striking. The details of the society presented just in the art were fascinating too (an old television set used as a rabbit hutch, bicycle riding jousters), but the story itself is pretty lackluster. Following a well trod hero’s journey with little tension or personality, there is much less of interest than even the fairy tale motifs being used might suggest. Also, everything is simply told so the narrative is dull, there being very little dialog to help us through the exposition. Also, in the end it’s a little preachy, as well.
While the setting itself, a low tech post-industrial pastoral future, seems intriguing, the perspectives being shared are more than a little dated; when Henry finally reaches the decadent, filthy city where gasoline is still used he is confronted by people dressed in a Daily Mail readers vision of punk fashion, dancing in discos and watching pornographic versions of Shakespeare. What could have been an interesting viewpoint instead seems cartoonish. Henry’s bucolic homeland (even with its lack of books) seems far preferable to the awful city, and all agree that gasoline was a horrible thing anyway. While the future people are depicted as admirably diverse, the motif of the bride as prize was tired even in the ‘80s (even if she, in the end, chose Henry).
All in all, I don’t think I’d recommend digging this one up for a storytime today except for those interested in some cool vintage post-apocalyptic art.
Published in the UK back in 1986, Henry’s Quest is a picture book following the quest of the shepherd boy Henry to search for the legendary substance known as gasoline (this was obviously the American edition) in order to power the antique car collection of his local king and win the hand of his daughter. It is definitely a product of its times but also remains, sadly, relevant.
I feel that the artwork is definitely what draws one into the book. Visions of a neo-Medieval post-apocalyptic England with fortresses nestled in old transmission towers and villages inside airliners, complete with little smoke stacks coming out of the windows and pigeon coops in the turbines, was striking. The details of the society presented just in the art were fascinating too (an old television set used as a rabbit hutch, bicycle riding jousters), but the story itself is pretty lackluster. Following a well trod hero’s journey with little tension or personality, there is much less of interest than even the fairy tale motifs being used might suggest. Also, everything is simply told so the narrative is dull, there being very little dialog to help us through the exposition. Also, in the end it’s a little preachy, as well.
While the setting itself, a low tech post-industrial pastoral future, seems intriguing, the perspectives being shared are more than a little dated; when Henry finally reaches the decadent, filthy city where gasoline is still used he is confronted by people dressed in a Daily Mail readers vision of punk fashion, dancing in discos and watching pornographic versions of Shakespeare. What could have been an interesting viewpoint instead seems cartoonish. Henry’s bucolic homeland (even with its lack of books) seems far preferable to the awful city, and all agree that gasoline was a horrible thing anyway. While the future people are depicted as admirably diverse, the motif of the bride as prize was tired even in the ‘80s (even if she, in the end, chose Henry).
All in all, I don’t think I’d recommend digging this one up for a storytime today except for those interested in some cool vintage post-apocalyptic art.
May 22, 2018
I was trying to remember this book after a conversation about positive post-apocalyptic stories. I first came across this when by brothers were very young and it has stayed with me, still resonating 20+ years later! A lovely, simple but nuanced quest story with some very modern sensibilities. Gentle and delightful.
February 15, 2019
Graham Oakley is FUNNY, and I have long loved his church mouse tales with that humor! This book had fantastic illustrations and that clever humor that makes me chuckle. The tone was a maybe a bit more sardonic, though? And I think the story is going to go right over the heads of most children.
June 23, 2014
I picked this book up on a whim because I liked the illustrations and I absolutely love it! I love stories about what the world would be like if civilization as we know comes to an end and this is just a wonderful take on it all. Might be a tad dark for tiny kiddos but older ones and adults are sure to love Henry and his quest for the fabled Petrol so he can win the hand of the fair princess Isolde. I really think though he is more interested in seeing if the fabled Petrol really exists. The king and his family cracked me off by the way. Not exactly the most high born by todays standards. Also loved how various abandoned things are used in their society. Well thought out and makes you think. Just a fun book all around and I highly recommend it.
October 7, 2013
This post-apocalyptic picture book is all sorts of amazing. Long in the future, society has reverted to a medieval-like, agrarian existence. The ruler of a small town-sized country proclaims the hand in marriage of the princess to the person who can find and bring back the mythical PETROL for the royal heirlooms (cars used as chicken coops). Henry, a simple shepherd, sets out on a quest beyond the unexplored forest borders, encountering people, friendly and otherwise, scattered amongst the remnants of 20th century industrialization. The illustrations are evocative and are filled with little subtle details that tell mini-subplots outside of the text. Definitely worth tracking down.
February 12, 2026
One of my favorite books! I would love to make a movie of this story. The plot is a fairy tale quest for the forgotten, legendary substance "gasoline", set in a wildly abandoned future. Like every Graham Oakley story, it is filled with bizarre characters and subtle unremarked on details, from the biracial royal family to the insane glare of the dictator's capitol. Cult classic!
Update: have screenplay!
Update: have screenplay!
Read
August 15, 2010I loved this book. It has a post industrial setting for a classic fairy tale story. Henry is a shepard who wants to win the hand of Princess Isolde. He must find the magic thing the King wants- GASOLINE. The story of how he goes about it & how he wins Princess Isolde's hand is a hilarious & cautionary tale. The illustrations alone are worth reading the book for. A big kid/adult type book.
September 19, 2016
Apocalyptic picture book? Yes, please! Except apparently picture book standards in 1986 were a lot different, because the layout was horrible. HORRIBLE!!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews