Henry's important date

K-Gr 3--This new installment about Henry the Duck, who struggles through every unfortunate event, sees our hero trying to get to his friend Clara's birthday party. He has the cake, and he knows how to get there, but traffic is terrible. So he parks his car and tries to get a cab, but he locks his keys and the cake in the car. When he breaks into the car, a policeman stops him and checks his identification. Each event is more annoying than the last until the story's hilarious conclusion. This is a perfect book for early readers who want a bit of a challenge; the story has a clipped pace, with many visual clues to help readers along. Children will love predicting what obstacle Henry is going to face next in this instant classic. VERDICT A wonderful choice for all, but especially libraries building up the early reader section--there are four other books about Henry.--Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elem., FL