Inspired by a passage from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, this wonderfully appealing story follows two friends who have very different approaches to life.

When the two agree to meet one evening in Fitchburg, which is thirty miles away, Henry decides to walk while his friend plans to work all day to earn the fare for the train.

Playful pictures follow the progress of each, whether through a bustling small town or a countryside alive with curiosities for an inquisitive bear.

Written and illustrated with stylish simplicity by D. B. Johnson, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg is a welcome introduction to Thoreau.

  • The Boston Globe–Horn Book Award

  • Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year

    The New York Times

  • Best Book of the Year

    Publishers Weekly

  • Best Book of the Year

    School Library Journal

  • Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award

    New York Public Library

  • Best Children’s Picture Book

    Massachusetts Book Award

  • 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

    New York Public Library

  • A New York Times Bestseller