Member Reviews

I highly recommend Lenny Henry by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara to anyone with a little one who loves to read! Very cute book that gives great insight to the life of Lenny Henry, someone I didn't know much about prior to the storybook. The pictures are vibrant and a perfect companion to another wonderful edition of the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Was this review helpful?

Fantastic, I love the fact this was for charity and also for Lenny Henry’s last year hosting too, ground breaking funny man in UK , wonderful book and comedian

Was this review helpful?

This picture book biography is written about Sir Lenny Henry, comedian, actor, writer and activist. The story begins with his childhood and how he always wanted to make people laugh. It also features some of the challenges he went through, including racism and bullying at school. As with all of the books in the series, it concludes with showing how he achieved his dreams. The story ends with a timeline and some pictures/biographical information about him.

Each page has beautiful, colour-filled pages with 3-4 lines of text. There is a lot of great biographical information, but it also follows a story that will hook young readers. I believe this book would be best fit for children in the 7-11 age range. As a grade 3 teacher I could definitely see this book in my classroom library in the future!

Was this review helpful?

This is a fab picture book all about the life of Lenny Henry, a British comedian, actor, writer and activist, and so much more! I’ve enjoyed watching Lenny Henry on TV since the 1980s, so it’s fantastic to see that he’s got his own book in this series, especially as Red Nose Day is coming up again on 15th March here in the UK. I didn’t realise that he actually founded Comic Relief with Richard Curits, the film director. I’ve always enjoyed his sense of humour and even saw his stand-up show here in Jersey many years ago. Highly recommended for younger readers.

Was this review helpful?

"Lenny Henry" by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Diane Ewen is part of the "Little People, BIG DREAMS" series.

Lenny Henry grew up in the UK as one of seven siblings. His family had hardships as did young Lenny, but he found humor a good way to cope and fight back. That led him to dreaming about a career in comedy and that led him to succeed as an actor, writer, activist and comedian.

I like this series best when the stories are about overcoming diversity with perseverance and this one is full of that. The illustrations are bright and fun and I think Lenny Henry would have approved.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this addition to the Little People Big Dreams series, I always think it's interesting to see how the lives of current day figures are depicted in these books and this one didn't disappoint. I liked seeing how Lenny Henry's background in comedy came about, and how this led to later milestones in his career. But overall I did find this book slightly forgettable, similar to a lot of other books in the series that blend into one.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisjer for providing em with an advanced ebook copy of this title!

Was this review helpful?

A picture book biography of Black British comedian, Lenny Henry.

I didn’t know anything about Lenny Henry before reading this, but I have heard of the Comic Relief charity and it was interesting to learn about the people who started that. An inspiring little biography that focuses on a celebrity using their platform to help others.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Now, who doesn't just love this person?I know I do!!!!

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara is the bestselling author of Little People, BIG DREAMS series, and within this book you discover the incredible life of Sir Lenny Henry, the multi-talented comedian, actor, writer and activist.

Ever since he was small, Lenny Henry wanted to be a comedian. At home in Dudley, England, he would pretend to be the characters he watched on TV, copying scenes from his favorite shows to entertain his six brothers and sisters. But life wasn't always easy, and at school, Lenny found himself the subject of racist bullying—until he figured out a way to beat the bullies using humor. This was when he realized he had a he could make people laugh. He shot to fame aged 16 and the following decades were full of great successes, such as his hugely popular TV show The Lenny Henry Show .

Lenny co-founded the charity Comic Relief in response to a terrible famine in East Africa. Over 25 years later, Lenny and the charity remain committed to creating a just world, free from poverty, and have raised millions of pounds. An actor, a comedian, an author, and a champion of inclusivity, Lenny is a much-loved figure whose story encourages us to keep smiling.

This book was sweet, colourful and I loved it......
It was a book that made me smile and my nephew could not stop talking about him.
A joy to read and learn a little more about an incredible man!

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Quatro Publishing Group for my ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Lenny Henry, a British comedian and co-creator of Comic Relief is perhaps not as well known as some other comedians but is definitely a person that should be recognized for his contributions to the field of comedy as well as his humanitarian efforts.

Was this review helpful?

"In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Sir Lenny Henry, the multi-talented comedian, actor, writer and activist.

Ever since he was small, Lenny Henry wanted to be a comedian. At home in Dudley, England, he would pretend to be the characters he watched on TV, copying scenes from his favorite shows to entertain his six brothers and sisters. But life wasn't always easy, and at school, Lenny found himself the subject of racist bullying - until he figured out a way to beat the bullies using humor. This was when he realized he had a gift: he could make people laugh. He shot to fame aged 16 and the following decades were full of great successes, such as his hugely popular TV show The Lenny Henry Show.

Lenny co-founded the charity Comic Relief in response to a terrible famine in East Africa. Over 25 years later, Lenny and the charity remain committed to creating a just world, free from poverty, and have raised millions of pounds. An actor, a comedian, an author, and a champion of inclusivity, Lenny is a much-loved figure whose story encourages us to keep smiling."

And the thing is, unlike in the United States, Comic Relief in England is amazing and funny.

Was this review helpful?

Little People, Big Dreams does it again with their story of Lenny Henry. A perfect book to introduce this man during Black History Month in schools. I had no idea that he was the one behind Red Nose Day. An inspiration for all.

Was this review helpful?

We love the Little People, Big Dreams series and this book about Sir Lenny Henry is no exception.

Telling the story of Lenny Henry's early years, his career climb and how he came to start Comic Relief with Richard Curtis, this biography for children age 4-7 is concise and accompanied by great illustrations making it engaging and accessible to its target audience.

Lenny Henry was born in Dudley and sadly encountered racism at a very early age. He was bullied at his school and used comedy and humour as a way to fight back and win. His talent was noticed and he won a national talent show which lead to him becoming a leading comedian and a household name.

He co-founded Comic Relief over 25 years ago in response to the famine in East Africa and his work continues as an activist and a champion of inclusivity.

This series of books serves to educate and inspire the next generation and Lenny Henry's story can not fail to do just that. Just like Lenny's character, Theodophilus P. Wildebeeste, we have 'Big Love' for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing / Frances Lincoln Children's Books for sending us this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Was this review helpful?

The latest in the Little People Big Dreams series is about the life of Sir Lenny Henry, the comedian and founder of Comic Relief.

I found it interesting to read about his early life, and the bullying behind the humour. This is another edition where many people may not know his name (very well known in the UK, but I'd assume less so abroad), however the author provides a perfect level of information for those who do not know of Lenny.

Was this review helpful?

The author of these series is a real gem. Today I met Lenny Henry, a black Jamaican boy who was raised in England, and of course being bullied. But he managed to overcome the bullying with humor. Truly an inspiring story, since more and more people being bullied everyday. Lenny didn't only overcome the bullying, but he raised into fame with his jokes. This book is a must read one, if possible, must own also.

Was this review helpful?

I love this series! I recommend it to every young reader. I found it unfortunate that he was bullied and had to use humor to cope. I think kids will enjoy this book and the extended biography at the end.

Was this review helpful?

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I have never heard of Lenny Henry, but I have heard of Red Nose Day and Comic Relief. It interesting to learn about a new comedians and the great things he has done. I love the Little People Big Dreams series

Was this review helpful?

Book 177 of 200 ~ 2023

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

By now, you should know that I am a huge fan of this series, so I am a tad biased. Not that it isn't brilliant because it is hence totes deserving of the 5 over 5.

I was cracking my head as to why the name was familiar, then remembered loving his character on Chef! Amazing story as to how he overcame bullying too (totally coincidental that this and the previous review spoke about bullying - this was not planned)

Kudos for starting comic relief, too. Big heart, big brain.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book177of200 #amreading #netgalley #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram
#reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2023 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds

Was this review helpful?

I love this series and I love that I learn about people I didn't previously know about, but I'm not sure how popular this title will be.

Was this review helpful?

This is a great children's book from the Little People, Big Dreams series, which is an amazing, educational series of books, focusing on inspirational people in the world.

This book focuses on Lenny Henry, the multi-talented comedian, actor, writer and activist who was born in the UK. I really enjoyed reading about Lenny's life from when he was young, up until he was an adult, especially his journey to being a comedian, bringing fun, joy and laughter to many people.

I found this book really interesting, and I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful illustrations in the book, as well as the informative text sections and photographs at the end of the book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

I love these books, and this one is no exception

A brilliant series, with books for a wide range of children to find someone similar to themselves in

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

Was this review helpful?