Henry loves chocolate. His kind and over indulgent parents let him eat it for every meal, always. And so, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising when Henry is suddenly broken out in brown spots that smell suspiciously of candy. But of course, this occurrence is highly unusual and Henry ends up in the hospital being stared at by a great number of shocked people. Scared, he runs away and ends up in the middle of a truck hijacking gone wrong (which probably should be more scary, but somehow, isn’t) with his new friend Mac. Oh, and Mac? Is black. In an incredibly awkward turn, the author attempts to relate the experience Henry has with being brown spotted with the racist treatment Mac has faced in his life. Of course, Mac demonstrates to Henry that he truly understands because he is black and people have always stared at him. Mac finishes his speech with “Black is beautiful.” The whole exchange is extremely cringe-worthy and dated.
Barring the ill-advised foray into race issues, this is a pretty cute book about eating well, making friends and acceptance. It’s short, has illustrations and is great for beginning readers. I’d recommend it to second and third graders.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – A drawing shows Henry in an undershirt and underpants. Another drawing shows him in just his underpants, running through the streets.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – There is pushing and shoving as the students head to classes. Some kids bully Henry and threaten to hit him. Henry tells them if they touch him they will die. Mac asks Henry if his parents beat up on him (they don’t). Two men hold up a truck using guns. They claim to be hijacking it.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
