Henrietta - there's no one better!!

I love nothing better than to feed my addiction to books, but you already know that. Earlier this week I thought I would make good use of a voucher for Borders. I was not going browsing for myself since, let's face it, my 'to read' pile will keep me busy for a good while still. I wanted to get some books for the children this time so what better to spend a voucher on?

I bought a big art book for me to browse through paintings with the children as well as some fiction for bedtime reading. E Nesbit's "Five children and It", "Tom's Midnight Garden" (Philippa Pearce) , "Peter Pan" (the original JM Barrie novel) and the first in the series of Enid Blyton's Famous Five.
As if this wasn't exciting enough, I made a new discovery! After reading "Nicholas" (by Rene Goscinny - him of Asterix fame), and "Pippi Longstocking" (by Astrid Lindgren - we read the version gloriously illustrated by Lauren Child) LP and I needed something new.

We found Henrietta - written by Martine Murray (Australian author!) -

The pink cover featuring an illustration of a girl with underpants on her head caught my attention. Then I turned the book around to read:

I'm Henrietta P. Hoppenbeek the First. I have a baby brother, two white mice, a chocolate coloured dog, a woolly mammoth, two long green socks with toes, one pickle-eating best friend, a bathtub for sailing in, and definately a huge HUGE amount of discoveries to discover.... And if anyone tells you I make things up, you better believe it..."

and I was sold. Or rather, the book was sold..... to me....

The story is rambling using really creative wordplay and different fonts making it fun to read. The illustrations are whimsical and childlike. Reading it is like listening to LP talk (in that continuous stream of consciousness way....), they both have wonderful make believe experiences..... so Henrietta and LP have found each other and formed a lasting relationship. So far there are 3 books, and I am hoping there will be many more.



Here's a clip of the author introducing the third book: