High-Wire Henry

Henry the Siamese Cat #3

by Mary Calhoun, Erik Ingraham (Illustrator)

Although Henry the cat learns tightrope walking only to impress the humans in his family, who have stopped paying attention to him because of their new puppy, his skill comes in handy when the puppy gets stranded on a high ledge.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Animals, Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 1991

About the author

Mary Louise Huiskamp Wilkins, also known as Mary Calhoun was born on August 3, 1926 in Keokuk, Iowa. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism for the University of Iowa in 1948. She was hired as a reporter for the World-Herald in Omaha, Nebraska after graduation. Her fascination with spirits and folklore of the 19th century led her to write stories about witches, elves, cats, dwarfs, and pixies. She has also published stories in Jack and Jill and Humpty Dumpty magazines. She worked at the Omaha World Herald before marrying fellow journalist Frank Calhoun. Her first book, Making the Mississippi Shout, was published in 1957. She wrote more than 50 children's books during her lifetime including the Katie John series, Julie's Tree, Henry the Sailor Cat, and Cross-Country Cat. She died on October 27, 2015 at the age of 89.

Reviews

[Schnaucl · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were parts of this story that I really liked. I loved Henry's attitude, it struck me as being very similar to a stereotypical cat's attitude. He wants to be independent and a little aloof but clearly craves The Man's attention and approval. He can do most of the same tricks as the dog, Buttons, but only because he wants to and never on command. Cat-like indeed.

I think the story could be interpreted as a story intending to help a child with a new addition to the family.

But for some reason the fact that he was walking on his hind legs really bothered me in this story. It's a familiar trope for this series, we've seen it in pretty much ever book. I think it's because this time much of the book was about being able to do tight rope walking like activities with the companion focus on balance. Cats are much more steady on four legs than two and besides, it would have been much more cute to see Henry carry the stick in his mouth rather than his paws. Ah well, still a very fun story. And the gruff The Man was perfect, as usual. (Though I did have a heard time believing he'd call the dog "cute as a button").

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry has done it all, so why not tightrope walking? This was another feat of Henry, the cat that basically does it all. Now, because he is experiencing a bit of envy, he goes through a moody period that is only ended when he gets attention for high-wire walking. All in all, this was another Henry adventure. It wasn't my favorite one, but it was about as good as the others and it put Henry into a slightly more unusual activity than the others. All in all, not bad.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A departure from the other books I've read is Henry's heroism. Typically he gets himself into trouble and has to get himself out of it through extraordinary puzzle solving / feats of physical prowess (for a cat). This time though he puts those skills towards saving the puppy from a bad fall and ultimately does a very cat thing when he scruffs the dog.

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[Fourth Grade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantasy story about a cat named Henry who feels replaced by the new puppy. Henry finds a way to draw attention and could possibly get hurt doing it! Practicing day and night getting closer to his goal of drawing attention to himself, tries to save the little puppy from danger. Recommended to littler kids that like adventure, cats and dogs.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realisticish adventures of cats and dogs have incredible staying power because of their perPETual appeal (sorry). This one is okay. Henry is pretty awesome and it rings emotionally true, but it has always been a smidge wordy and is starting to feel dated. Recommended for cat enthusiasts ages 5-7.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice pictures, good story.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's with all these high-wire acts that keep landing on my desk? I remember reading this one to my kids. Only a siamese cat could pull that act off. Can I get a meowwwww out there?

[Ritzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t say I love this story because of the way it’s told - something about its wording, but it definitely is a great story on how a child may feel envious of a new addition to the household, or suddenly one is no longer the attention holder, or the favorite. It’s about experiencing feeling envy and how one reacts to it. I’m not sure that it gives any real suggestion or solution as to how to manage it. I suppose one can have a discussion on the topic with the child or group. I do recommend this story for children to learn not to let being envy hurt someone.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry wasn't pleased or impressed when the man brought the little brown puppy named buttons into the house. Henry's high-jinks for attention due to his jealously of buttons leads to an interesting outcome.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

High-Wire Henry written by Mary Calhoun and illustrated by Erik Ingraham is part of a series about the adventures of Henry the cat. In this book, Henry is jealous of his family’s new puppy. In order to gain his family’s attention, which is on the cuteness of the new puppy, Henry decides to put his balancing skills to work. When the new puppy attempts to be like Henry, he ends up in danger. Henry realizes that the puppy needs help and helps to rescue him. Calhoun’s writing is sweet and she is a great storyteller. Ingraham’s artwork is realistic looking and done in a soft color palette. The Henry the cat stories are perfect for a pet story time and a must have for a cat lover’s collection.

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently discovered that Mary Calhoun's remains are buried in my town, and I came across her name when I was doing some local cemetery research. Today I conveniently found one of her books in the discarded pile of a school library, and High-Wire Henry was a cute little kids book about Henry the cat who has a very unique and vibrant personality. Calhoun wrote a lot of children's books about Henry, it seems, which makes sense, because I could definitely see kids wanting to know more about the adventures of Henry and Buttons and The Man, The Woman and The Kid.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry is an adventuresome Siamese cat, whose owners have seen him do some remarkable things. There is a new puppy in the house, and Henry feels neglected…Check out his solution.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was long-winded and a little poorly worded at times, but my boy was enamored with this crazy tale.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite not liking the new puppy, Henry does the right thing

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice basic story about a cat's relationships with family members. The illustrations are wonderful!

[Books Kids Like · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry is quite put out when The Man brings home a puppy. He spends the night in the apple tree. The next morning, the family discovers him there and thinks that he can't get down. To prove to them that he is in supreme control, Henry stands on his hind legs and walks along the tree branch. Then he comes sedately down "accidently" scratching the puppy's nose. The next night, he practices walking the top of the back fence. He sings as he walks and makes The Man mad. One day, a squirrel runs along the telephone wire and onto the second floor ledge. The puppy, watching from an upstairs window, goes out on the ledge to chase the squirrel. High-wire Henry uses all of his skills to save the puppy. He finally earns the attention and respect he's been craving.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars