Stuffing my fingers in my ears, I tried to shut out the noisy crowd. I shuffled my left foot away from the woman next to me. If she jumped up and squashed my foot once more I was going to … Well, let’s just say she’d be TOTALLY sorry.
Uh oh. The crowd’s going nuts again. Even though I had poked my fingers so far into my ears they were almost touching, I could still hear the cheerleaders.
Henry feels like he’s not much good at anything. Perhaps there’s only room in a family for one person to excel at sport. And in Henry’s family that’s Suzy. Suzy is good at everything. He’s pleased that Suzy does so well, but just once it would be nice if his parents were cheering for him the way they cheer for Suzy. Only Grandma Lulu can make him feel better, but she’s somewhere in Europe having a lovely time. Henry determines to have a go, to try and find what he’s good at. He tries sport after sport, but although he does some good things, they’re always at the wrong time, or in the wrong way and all his efforts end in disaster. Surely there’s something he can excel at? Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.
Some children quickly master whatever sport they tackle, and others take longer to find their place to shine. Henry seems to be the latter. But, as his loved grandmother might have said, ‘Your turn will come’ and of course, it does. Not necessarily in quite the way he anticipates, but he has his moment in the sun. Each chapter begins with a thought from Grandma Lulu, even when she’s not there, reminding Henry and the reader that everyone has talents, and eventually everyone will have a chance to shine. They also provide encouragement when Henry is feeling like there is no point in trying anymore. Recommended for lower- to middle-primary readers.
Have a Go Henry Kate Willson, ill Marjory Gardner
Celepene Press 2012 ISBN: 9780980699463
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author