Reviews for Henry the Helpful Elephant

The average rating for Henry the Helpful Elephant based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-04-06 00:00:00 Deborah Turner Review: Welcome Song for Baby VanCamp, R. (2007). Welcome Song for Baby; A lullaby for newborns. Victoria, B.C., Canada: Orca Book Publishers. Why the book was chosen The book Welcome Song for Baby is beautiful on the outside. The book features a picture of a newborn baby with his/her mother. The mother's moment is tender. She presses her lips ever so tenderly on her babies forehead; her baby silently accepts this gift with eyes slightly open. This book is for young children and babies, although it is also for parents to lullaby to the babies. Summary/Overview of the book A lullaby for newborns, the song has accepted this tiny bundle as a gift to the world. The song lyrics illustrate that the world is a welcoming place. The book implies that love was known, but not as evident as much as the day a baby is born and held. The message is straight to the point, "the baby is sacred, precious and our future and the baby is our sacred responsibility." All together we will grow, teach, play, and be nourished. Babies make our world go round and the universe. Specific quotes from the text "You are a child of the universe...A caretaker for future generations...Walk gently...Walk true" "We live...We laugh...We love now...In your honour" "...for someone so small...You are about to change our lives...For someone so small...You are about to change our world...For someone so small...You are about to change the universe...Forever" My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions My reaction is that this is not only a beautiful book but that it is a treasure. I would want this book for my Grandson Austin and other babies born into the world. My reaction is love; it brings to the surface inside of me adoration for my children and expecting parents. What a beautiful gift! Re-evaluating the story with reference to values, ideals, beliefs, and/or institutions of Aboriginal peoples Since it is a belief that our children are gifts from the Creator, we are given these tiny beings to care for and protect. The lyrics follow the values of the very foundation of Aboriginal people and its institution the family. These teachings are: 1) Wisdom, the acknowledgement of the power of the little ones from above; 2) Love, a newfound peace that a child brings into the family; 3) Respect is shown in the honouring of the new entity into the world; 4) Honesty is to know that this action of having a baby in your life is going to affect the family, community and world; 5) Humility is to know that each child is going to bring about and has already gifted us with a new sensitivity to love; 6) Truth is knowing that the child has more power than we will ever know; 7) Bravery is to know that we are responsible to nurture the baby and we must be models for the baby. Most important to us is in our Humility; it is in our teachings, that they will be carried forward beyond our years; we are gifted with that knowledge and it is the bravest thing to do. My transformation thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about... I am thinking. I am a Grandmother! My Austin, my Awesome Grandson and my universe has changed forever since his birth. "Hey ya hey, hey ya hey, Hey ya hey...Ho!"

Review # 2 was written on 2008-03-14 00:00:00 Christian Ederer This is the sweetest baby book I've ever seen. The photos are adorable, and the text by Richard Van Camp is so beautiful that it makes me cry. Here's an example: Hey ya hey Hey ya hey Hey ya hey Dear one Cherished one Loved one You have made the world beautiful again This book is being given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008, as part of the Books for BC Babies initiative. How cool is that?