STORYWRAPS: Henry Hodges Needs a Friend

Unwrapping some cute quotes for you...

Unwrapping...

From the author of "The Kid Who Changed the World" comes the book -

"Henry Hodges Needs a Friend"

Authored by - Andy Andrews

Illustrated by - Colleen Madden

Ages - 4-8

Unwrapping the illustrations for you...

This book is written in rhyme and tells the story of a lonely little boy, named Henry, who lives in a very quiet town, at the very end of his street. He has no one to play with as no friends live near him and he doesn't like toys, so he mopes around feeling isolated, sad and lost.

"Henry wandered outside
To his old tire swing,
Just to wonder what boredom
This new day would bring."

His parents decide to find the perfect companion for him.

"But his mother's eyes twinkled.
'Don't worry. Don't fret.
A friend's what you need,
So a friend's what you'll get."

After searching around everywhere they finally discover the perfect friend, a dog, that Henry dubs "Hap".

"It's a nickname for Happy,
And that's just what you'll be.
You'll have a friend always
Now that you're with me."

With the arrival of Hap into his life, heavyhearted Henry is changed forever. He and his new companion run and play, exploring their world around them together, and Henry is delighted with Hap. A shared life is a happy life.

The illustrator is fantastic and her pictures are full of imagination and wit which I just love. The message of book will resonate with any child who is feeling lonely and will encourage them not to give up because THEIR new best friend could be just around the corner waiting ... just as Henry's was.

Unwrapping the author...

What could this one man possibly have to say that is important enough for the Commander of the Allied Air Forces to ask his help? Why did every senior leader the United States Air Force has in Europe and the Middle East recently assemble in one room at one time to hear him speak?

Who is this man, that he would walk the golf course with Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez as she played her last tournament as a touring professional? Why was he invited to spend an afternoon with General Norman Schwarzkopf and his son, who was about to depart for college? What would he be asked to discuss with a ninety-one-year-old Bob Hope alone by the swimming pool in the entertainer's back yard?

Hailed by a New York Times writer as a 'modern-day Will Rogers who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America,' Andy Andrews is an internationally known speaker and novelist whose combined works have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has been received at the White House and has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents.

Andrews'best-selling book, The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success, is an international sensation, remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for four and a half months and being translated into nearly twenty languages. Featured on ABC's Good Morning America as a book-of-the-month selection, The Traveler's Gift is the stunning story of one man's search for meaning and success in life by traveling back into time and conversing with seven historic individuals. Its message of hope, faith, and perseverance is transforming thousands of lives worldwide every day, spawning a teen version, The Young Traveler's Gift; The Traveler's Gift Journal; a home study audio program, Timeless Wisdom from the Traveler; and life-study curriculum's in high schools, mental-health organizations, and prisons nationwide.

Andrews lived a relatively normal life until the age of nineteen, when both his parents died, his mother from cancer, his father in an automobile accident. 'I took a bad situation and made it much worse,' Andrews says with a rueful smile, referring to choices he made during this tragic period of his life. Within a span of several years, the young man found himself literally homeless (before that was even a word!' he says), sleeping occasionally under a pier on the gulf coast or in someone's garage.

It was at that time when Andrews asked the question that would focus his search for what would ultimately affect millions of people. The question? 'Is life just a lottery ticket, or are there choices one can make to direct his future?' To find the answer, he first went to the library. There, over time, he read more than two hundred biographies of great men and women. How did they become the people they were? he wondered. Were they simply born this way? Or were there decisions made at critical junctures in their lives that led to such success? The young Andrews finally determined that there were seven characteristics that each person had in common. 'What will happen,' he mused, 'if I study these seven common denominators and harness them in my own life?

The rest is history. 'The Seven Decisions,' as he calls them, were the engines used to carry Andrews' life in a different direction. And twenty-plus years later, these same Seven Decisions became the outline around which he built the story of The Traveler's Gift and the basis of his PBS Special.

While tidying up the wrapping paper I discovered these sweet friendships amidst the wrap ... hope they make you smile.