About the Holiday
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, fall has arrived! If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, welcome to spring! Today, the hours of daytime and nighttime will be equal, ushering in a changing of the seasons. For some that means cooler weather, shorter days, and a slowing down in nature which leads to our being able to enjoy the brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges in the leaves of certain trees, cozy recipes, and fun fall holidays. For others nature is just awakening, with all the beauty that warm weather and new growth bring. Wherever you live, enjoy the activities and events ushered in with the change in season!
Thank you to Greystone Kids for sending me this book for review!
Henri and the Secret Letters
By Fanny Ducassé | Translated by David Warriner
Even before Henri the Badger awoke on the first day of fall (his favorite season), Mr. Mulot, the mail owl, slipped a mysterious letter under Henri’s door. Henri notices it immediately while heading to the kitchen to make cinnamon cookies—”one of his favorite fall treats.” The envelope was sealed with a heart, and the short letter read, “Dear Henri, I love the twinkle in your eye. Signed: A secret sender.” Henri was puzzled. He usually kept himself to himself. He couldn’t imagine who his secret admirer was.
After breakfast, he put on his “favorite fall outfit and dug out his cookbook of cozy recipes” before taking a leisurely walk in the woods among the tiny creatures and brilliantly colored foliage. He pondered: “was there really a twinkle in his eye?” Later, Henri was working in his kitchen, when Mimi the skunk knocked on his door. Henri never had many visitors, but he had just made pumpkin cake and hot chocolate, and the two sat in front of the wood stove savoring this special treat. Henri considered: “could she be the secret sender?” They were so different.
When another letter appeared the next day, Henri dismissed his thought about Mimi with a pang of disappointment, because this time the sender said they shared so much in common. Still, the sender included a recipe for potato leek soup and invited Henri to write back with instructions on where to leave his reply as their address was a secret. Henri’s “heart fluttered just a bit” as he drew a picture and enclosed a recipe for creamy mushroom pasta.
The annual Fall Festival was to be held the next week, and everyone was preparing for the big day. “But Henri’s head was in the clouds,” because he’d already received a reply—the most tantalizing letter yet. It relayed an invitation to meet at the Fall Festival and offered a clue as to how Henri could recognize his pen pal. A recipe for Vanilla Pudding was included. On the day of the festival, the animals—all sporting costumes—met in the woods where a long table was set with scrumptious treats. Catching a whiff of the clue he’d been given, Henri soon discovered the secret sender. Happily surprised, Henri now considered everything he and his friend had in common. When it came time to make a wish, Henri wished for “many more letters . . . and delicious dishes to savor” with his new friend.
Get ready to snuggle in for fall and winter with Fanny Ducassé’s heartwarming story of wonder, comfort, and friendship, delightfully blended with cozy recipes that children will love to make with a little help or supervision. In her dulcet storytelling, Ducassé perfectly captures the comforts of solitude, the giddiness of seeing yourself anew through another’s eyes, and the flowering of self-confidence, while gently cautioning against preconceived notions.
Ducassé’s markers-and-pen illustrations of Badger’s woodland home, burnished in spicy golds, forest greens, and molasses browns (not fully represented in the images above) convey Badger’s contemplative nature in dreamy scenes of his pondering the first secret letter, getting dressed, and wandering through the woods in images that play with time and his distracted thoughts. With the introduction of Mimi and Badger’s proclamation that they are “very different,” astute readers may begin noticing the ways they are similar well before Badger does. Ducassé’s immersive illustrations show a beautiful cohesion of colors, textures, and shapes across her pages that allow readers to float along with Badger in his preoccupation, while also appreciating her small details that elevate her homey scenes.
David Warriner’s lovely English translation from Ducassé’s original French encapsulates the cadence of Badger’s solitary musings and gentle jolts of possibility he experiences with each new letter.
Welcoming, whimsical, and thoroughly enchanting, Henri and the Secret Letters will captivate readers of all ages and keep them coming back to try each of the six delicious recipes included. The book would make a much-appreciated gift and a standout addition to any home or library collection.
Ages 4 – 8+
Greystone Kids, 2026 | ISBN 978-1778403644
About the Author
After getting a degree in modern literature, Fanny Ducassé began studying fashion design and model making at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, where she developed an interest in children’s book illustration. Fanny Ducassé lives in Paris. Henri and the Secret Letters is her first book available in English. Follow her on Instagram.
About the Translator
David Warriner grew up in the UK and escaped to Quebec right after graduating from Oxford. A professional translator for more than two decades, David nurtures a healthy passion for reading and has translated a range of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s fiction titles by French and Québécois authors for Canadian and UK publishers. David translated Super Space Weekend and Super Ocean Weekend, also published by Greystone Kids. Visit him at davidwarriner.com.
Autumn Equinox Activity
Falling for Fall Matching Puzzle
These kids are having fun in the leaves. Can you find the matching leaves in this printable Falling for Fall Puzzle?
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