Henry and the Valentine Surprise

Henry

by Nancy Carlson

Just before Valentine?s Day, Henry and his classmates discover a heart-shaped box on their teacher Mr. McCarthy?s desk. Who?s it for? As the students spy on Mr. McCarthy, they see him talking to the playground monitor, smiling at the lunch lady, and eating with the French teacher! How many girlfriends does Mr. McCarthy have? When Henry finally asks Mr. McCarthy just who that heart-shaped box is for?the class gets a big surprise! Nancy Carlson?s humorous text and candy-colored illustrations showcase just how sweet Valentine?s Day can be.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, School, Storytime, Teachers

32 pages, Hardcover

First published December 26, 2008

Reviews

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr McCarthy seems to have all the single ladies under his spell.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry and his classmates wonder why there is a big box of Valentine chocolates on their teacher's desk. Does Mr. McCarthy have a girlfriend? They are so excited for Valentine's Day to arrive and find out who gets the big valentine. The students are all in for a big surprise when Mr. McCarthy finally tells them about the mysterious box!

Used for "Hearts-A-Beating"- storytime-February, 2010.

[Keara Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really loved this story in our family story time at the library. My littles were excited to see the end. It was enjoyable for parents too, and a different take on a Valentine's story. Very cute and easy to read to a group of preschoolers.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Henry and his classmates see a heart shaped box on Mr. McCarthy's desk they all try and figure out who the box is for and if Mr. McCarthy has a girlfriend. Try as they might Henry and his classmates can't figure out who Mr. McCarthy's girlfriend might be.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book. Having been the significant other of a school teacher, I found the characters' speculation over their teacher's girlfriend charming and true to life.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this today at work to Kindergartners for outreach. Cute, but not a lot of laughs.

[Valentine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Emma 2 stars
Eleyna and Gideon 0 stars

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was funny to see some of the misguided notions that the children had about teachers.

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Henry and his classmates see a big red heart on their teacher's desk, they wonder who it could be for. Could he have a girlfriend? Noooo... (Favorite line:) Teachers don't have girlfriends. They live at school. (Feels that way sometimes!)

The kids spend the day spying on their teacher do discover the identity of his Valentine, and while it's no real surprise who the Valentine is for, what's in it was unexpected.

I'm not a fan of Nancy Carlson's illustrations, but the story is quick and cute, and kids will enjoy it.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute and fun story in the Henry series of stories by Nancy Carlson. We aren't the biggest fans of these books, but they are sweet and this is a fairly interesting story about Valentine's Day. I liked the ending because it shows that teachers have a life outside of the classroom, even if children are oblivious to it.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! totally explains why kids freak out when they see their teachers/librarians in public.

"I wonder if Mr. McCarthy has a girlfriend?"

"Teachers don't have girlfriends. They never leave school."

[Janin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book for Valentine's Day. And it reminded me when I was a kid. I had the same misconception that teachers lived at the school and never left (lol). It amuses me now to think that I thought they didn't have lives outside of the classroom.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun story about valentines day. From the students point of view who thinks the teachers don't ever leave the school. I think the kids would enjoy this book! I would recommend it for any elementary aged students b

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just shows how kids think teachers don't have a life outside of the school.

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Edna · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the class sees a big valentine box on Mr McCarthy's desk, they assume he must have a girlfriend, or does he?

[Andrea Labonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book.

[Cassi Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fun way to talk about Valentine's Day to your students. It is a silly story about students finding thier teacher's surprise. You could use this in k-3.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute Valentine story.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute classroom read...would be a good way to surprise kids with a classroom pet.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the colors and illustrations are attention grabbing, but not a huge fan of the story.