Trouble with Henry: A Tale of Walden Pond — Deborah O'Neal

Stunning illustrations distinguish this lively fictional portrait of Henry David Thoreau, a man whose simple yet extraordinary vision made history — and reminded us that "heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." Everyone in the bustling town of Concord loves buying grand new things and stylish clothes. Everyone, that is, except Henry David Thoreau. He would rather sit on a pumpkin than a velvet couch. He likes his old breeches patched and his shirts worn and soft. Henry even prefers fresh air and the song of whippoorwills to the hazy breath of smokestacks and the thunder of wagons. But when Henry builds himself a cabin — "not one inch bigger than I need" — near Walden Pond and speaks out against a ghastly plan to destroy his beloved Walden Woods, the town brands him a trouble-some rooster. Can Henry prove once and for all that nature is worth more than sooty factories and fancy parasols? An afterword provides historical details and context.