John Patrick Norman McHennessy: The Boy Who Was Always Late

by John Burningham

Book Overview

Every day, John Patrick sets off along the road to school, and although he hurries, strange and improbable happenings repeatedly make him late. To make things worse, his teacher never believes his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375852204
• ISBN13: 9780375852206
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.3" x 10.4"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

I will always believe you if you will always believe me

My son's kindergarten teacher just read us (the parents) this book on Parent's Orientation night. The book is about a boy who is always late because of fantastic experiences that hold him up on his way to school - crocodiles, lions, tidal waves. The teacher doesn't believe him (who would?) and punishes him for being late. One day, nothing happens on the way to school and he is not late. But now it is the teacher who has a fantastic experience - being strung up by a gorilla and asking for the boy to help him. The boy doesn't believe the teacher and goes away without helping him. The point, for me, is about preserving the wonderful imaginations of our young children. To quash those imaginations in favor of a more grown-up (and realistic) view of life and responsibilities is a great disservice not only to them but to us, the teachers. And the illustration of the boy walking to school on the day when nothing fantastic happens is positively dreary and heartbreaking. To insist on grown-up pragmatism at the cost of childhood imagination ends up being a lose-lose outcome. Although children love the story, this is really a children's book that is a lesson to parents, rather than children. Our son's new kindergarten teacher read it to us that way. Then she said that she tells our children this: I promise to always believe you as long as you always believe me too. And in this way we will build trust in each other together. I often find myself trying to get out the door with my kids when one of them suddenly discovers an alligator in the bathroom. I am working on taking the time to believe in their alligator.

A zany story of timeliness

John Burningham's JOHN PATRICK NORMAN MCHENNESSY - THE BOY WHO WAS ALWAYS LATE tells of a boy who can't seem to get to school on time. His teacher doesn't believe his imaginative stories and punishes him - until the time John gets to school on time and finds something strange has happened to his teacher. A zany story of timeliness with a twist makes for a fun tale out of the ordinary.

A Long Time Favorite

This book tickles me! I am a teacher and have read it so many times to students that I have to get another copy. Kids really love this story. It is a little bit of a surprise to them when the teacher tells John that if he keeps telling lies he might hit him with his stick, but he doesn't ever get hit so it just serves to grab the kids' attention. The book isn't explicit because you can see the things that could never happen, "happening" but maybe it is the boy's imagination. Since you never know for sure it is a great book to talk about how different people can interpret books in different ways depending on their experiences or mindset. You could even have kids present the evidence that made them think the things really did or really didn't happen. Awesome book!

My all-time favorite children's book

As a child, my dad read this book to me almost every night. I loved the illustrations and the story. And it taught me the important lesson that children are sometimes much more intelligent and insightful than adults. Maybe some would consider the next lesson to be anything but a lesson, but as a child, this book taught me to question authority and to have faith in my own judgment. I think that is the most important lesson this book teaches children.

great for school children

I'm not sure if preschoolers would get this, but primary grade children enjoy this story where the child triumphs over the teacher in the end! Even groups who are restless find the humor in this situation!