Hooray For Harry

by Kim Lewis

In a third endearing tale about Harry the elephant, Kim Lewis's soft, gentle artwork illuminates the satisfaction that comes from finding something you've lost - with the help of your two best friends.

Just as it's time to settle in for his nap, Harry the elephant makes an unhappy discovery. "Oh!" he cries. "My blanket is gone!" Together with his best friends, Lulu and Ted, Harry begins to search. Could his beloved blanket be under the bed? Did he leave it outside when the three of them turned it into a sail for their pretend ship? Or did his blanket stay stuck in the trees when they made a swing out of it? Where, oh where, did Harry put it?

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2006

About the author

Kim Lewis is an author and illustrator of children’s picture books.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has beautiful illustrations showing lots of texture and uses pastel colours which really brings the book to life and creates a calm backdrop for the story. It also teaches about friendship as Harry’s friends Ted and Lulu help him search for the blanket which he had lost. This could be used in PSHE lessons to think about what makes a good friend. It would be suitable for children in FS and KS1, although it’s a little long for a class story unless there was a bit extra spare time.

[Nina]

I found this book written by Kim Lewis, a very endearing book suitable for young children in early Key Stage 1. This a story of Harry the elephant losing his favourite blanket and, with the assistance of his friends,how he retraces his steps to try and find it.

This book is captivating to young children particularly for its gentle illustrations of animals in pastel colours which highlights the satisfaction of Harry finding the fluffy blanket that he misplaced.

I think that this book would perhaps be too "young" for my year two class but a great read for reception/ nursery in storytime.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a little gem! Not only are the illustrations so delightfully soft (I want to TOUCH THEM!!!), but the story is surprisingly charming. I found myself greatly appreciating the calm, logical approach the elephant and his friends take to find the lost blanket. Great example for the little ones who get frantic when they lose things.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read

This series has been like a warm hug, great for settling for bedtime. In this story, Harry misplaces a valued object needed to go to sleep and slowly retraces his steps. While doing so he remembers the fun activities he and his friends got up to today, and it all ends with the object found and everyone ready for sleep.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet story is so appealing. The characters - a toy elephant and his friends lamb and bear - are gorgeously illustrated. Harry the elephant wanted a nap, but he had lost his fuzzy blanket. He and his friends thought back through the day to remember where they left his blanket.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

so stinkin' precious!! :)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the stuffed animal illustrations! A simple story about series of events and problem-solving.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

IT WAS ADORABLE. The illustrations are so darn cute and the story is sweet. It made my heart warm, especially the last illustration.

[Stephanie Locascio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story of friendship and make believe.

[Tina Eckenroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my first read through of the book I thought it was your average lovely "Grandmom" book (treacly titles that well meaning adults buy for small children that are beautifully illustrated but are lacking otherwise). I was wrong. When I read it again, carefully, I found the story quietly charming. It is a good fit for a younger preschool storytime or for a sensory storytime where a gentler story is more appropriate. Compared to other titles with similar stories of loss of a comfort item, which portray the child as frantic (Willems Knuffle Bunny, Hilary McKay's Where's Bear, Gliori's Flora's Blanket), Harry remains thoughtful and calm, thinking his way out of the problem before panicking. We all know the frantic child is the more realistic portrayal, but this approach was refreshing.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations, especially the furry little stuffed animals! I just felt like I could hold them. I thought the story was so clever, especially because I remember doing that when I was younger--retracing steps to find things--oh wait! I still do that ALL the time as an adult, so I really can still relate!! Plus, my little boy LOVES his blanket and hates when I have to wash his when it's dirty, so it was a good opportunity to talk with him about how much we love our blankets, but that they do have to get clean sometimes! The blanket in the book was flannel and had tassels, just like my son's so it was even more endearing.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and gentle with gorgeous illustrations (the word that comes to mind is "soft." Can a picture be soft?) this book is great for helping kids narrate (beginning, middle, end) and has a nice theme of friends having fun together and helping each other.

Edited 1/14/19 to add:
I love that Harry's friends help him look and give ideas. I love that they all don't give up and/or go crying to Mom. They persevere and solve their problems together. It's a great lesson for kids told in an entertaining and gentle way. Definitely recommended.

[Evelyn Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved hearing this book read to me. My daughter read it to me yesterday and I loved the way the characters followed a sequence in order to find the missing blanket.

Harry lost his blanket and his friends, Lulu and Ted, help him to try and recover it. They retrace their steps and eventually remembered what they did with the blanket.

This story will help children with remembering and how to work in a team.

The illustrations in this book use nice pastel colours and are easy to look at.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable story is about stuffed animal friends who help each other help Harry find his blanket so that he can take a nap. They retrace their steps from the whole day, and they finally find the missing blanket! This is a wonderful story for children to read and learn about patience and how to problem solve when things go missing. There are beautiful illustrations that remind the reader of snuggly bedtime. Great for ECE.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great artwork and a good story about perserverance and LOOKING for lost items.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the soft illustrations. They were almost soothing to look at while reading.

[carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended Ages: toddler/pre-K

Harry can't remember where he left his blanket, but with the help of his friends, he is able to retrace his steps. A good story about remembering and teamwork.

[Stacia Leigh]

Cute story about misplacing something and then retracing steps to find it again. YES!

The illustrations were cute.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the pictures in this book--so soft and pretty. I really wanted to snuggle the cute little stuffed animals!

[Garrett Ellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really not a fan of this book, but would have it in my classroom for younger students. Just not sure sure about it.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

We're a little too young for the message of this story and it wasn't terrible engaging for the adult trader.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely soft illustrations.

[Amy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry lost his blanket. Can his friends help him remember what happened to it?