Review by Booklist Review
An important lesson on kindness is embedded in this rhyming story about a hyena whose giggle goes missing. Hyenas laugh at everything. But one day, Henry Hyena wakes up feeling blue. He doesn't join in his buddies' pranks, like teasing, chasing, and, above all, laughing at the other zoo animals. Definitely off his game, he visits Dr. Long, a wise old giraffe, and explains he doesn't think things are funny anymore. When a goat tripped over a tree limb, for example, Henry simply felt sorry for him. Dr. Long explains that Henry's problem isn't a problem at all. He has learned that laughing at others is cruel. Smiling with understanding, Henry shows the other hyenas how the joy of kind deeds and genuine fun is better than laughing at others. The zoo setting, bright cartoonlike animals, and a typeface that changes color and size to emphasize parts of the narrative enliven this lesson. A good companion book would be Children's Books: The Very Helpful Monsters (2014), by Sally Huss.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Henry, a cute hyena with a crop of spiky hair, wonders what's wrong when he lacks the urge to laugh alongside his fellow zoo hyenas: "He didn't join in while they teased a few bears./ He chose not to help when they chased several hares." When Henry seeks advice from Dr. Long, the giraffe explains that Henry has simply realized that "laughing at others is cruel." Claude creates a lively zoo atmosphere, full of animals that strum guitars, vacuum, and play musical chairs. Yet the message about kindness lands heavily, and the idea that laughter needn't be attached to meanness is glossed over. Ages 4-7. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Henry Hyena is anxious. He normally loves a good belly laugh when something goes wrong, but now he's just not finding the mishaps of others to be funny. His friends can't get him to play or even to tease the other animals in the zoo. It's time to visit the wise old giraffe who tends to all the creatures. "Dr. Long," he worries, "my giggle is gone." Happily, Dr. Long diagnoses a case of empathy-"It's not that you're sick, and you're far from a fool," he explains. "You've just learned that laughing at others is cruel." Parents and teachers will appreciate the lesson imparted by this book's jaunty rhyming text, and children will relate to the animals whose pratfalls are made fun of by Henry's friends. There's plenty of humor here, too; readers will giggle at the computer-generated, colorful images of animals having a bad day. VERDICT Great for classrooms where teasing is an issue, and for readers who like a bit of animal absurdity.-Etta Verma, Library Journal © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Having lost his laugh, former teaser Henry Hyena seeks the advice of giraffe Dr. Long, who wisely points out that Henry has simply come to realize that laughing at others is cruel and that he will find joy in laughing with--not at--others. Brightly colored illustrations of amiable zoo animals and singsongy rhymes provide a nonthreatening, if message-y, perspective on bullying. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A laughless hyena regains his giggle in this debut from Jantzen and Claude. Henry Hyena, who lives in a zoo, is having a blue day. He just doesn't find the usual things funnynot the storks' wobbly knees or an elephant's burpand he won't join in with the other hyenas' tricks, which include chasing the hares and cutting holes in the llamas' new socks. "Now this kind of thing / is really quite rare / for hyenas always / laugh without care." Dr. Long, a giraffe, knows exactly what's troubling Henry: "It's not that you're sick, and you're far from a fool. / You've just learned that laughing at others is cruel." Suddenly enlightened, Henry goes on to teach the other hyenas about being nice to others, and just like that, they transform into the nicest animals in the zoo, and Henry's laugh returns. While the verse is mostly reliable with regard to rhythm and rhyme, the words seem chosen just for their rhymes rather than to enhance or advance the story. Claude's digital illustrations use bright colors and white backgrounds to focus readers' attention. Children will have no doubt as to how the animals are feeling, especially the butts of the hyenas' jokes and tricks. Important though the lesson is, this is too didactic and unrealistic to help children facing similar situations. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
