Henry (and his heart) are perfectly happy playing indoors. But Henry's mom encourages him to go for a walk outside. Soon, Henry's heart starts beating faster. Is Henry riding a rollercoaster? Is he doing jumping jacks? What could be making Henry's heart beat faster?

In this engaging, informative story, children learn about the many ways the heart functions within the body, and how what we see, hear, and feel can directly affect our heart rate (like falling in love with a puppy!). Henry's Heart leads him to the best gift ever—woof woof!

Charise Mericle Harper is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including the Just Grace series and the Next Best Junior Chef series. Charise lives in Oregon. Visit Charise at chariseharper.com and on Twitter at @ChariseHarper.

Charise Mericle Harper's profile page

• Long-listed, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award ML
• Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Maser List

“The whimsically crafted tale features not only a pleasingly goofy cartoon cast but also some very clever misdirection in the "love story" episode, which is certain to elicit groans and giggles.” —BCCB

“Harper offers up a heroic heart that looks a lot like the real thing "without the eyes and mouth, of course," and he's an immensely appealing figure, ideal for teaching readers about this important organ.” —Publishers Weekly

“This clever book is an excellent choice for story hours and primary-grade classrooms.” —School Library Journal

“…a genius pairing of fiction and nonfiction.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review