Henry Is an Artist

by Justin Worsley, Justin Worsley (Illustrator)

Overview

"Calls to mind Harry the Dirty Dog and that classic canine Clifford . . . a delightfully oddball tale." --Kirkus reviews

A hilariously funny and unique story about Henry, a dog who is disappointed when the new pieces of "art" he creates each day on his walks to the park are continuiously thrown in the garbage!

Henry is a dedicated artist, a master sculptor, and . . . a dog. Each day on his walks to the park, he leaves his new "art" for people to admire. But his sculptures keep getting tossed in the garbage without even being noticed! That is until, one day, when someone quite unexpected falls in love with his work and at last Henry has his moment to shine.

This tongue-in-cheek and truly unique picture book about creativity, perseverence, and, well, poop, is a hilarious ode to undiscovered artists everywhere. 

Perfect for readers who loved No One Likes a Fart, My Butt is So Noisy, and Peter Reynolds's Creatrilogy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593695067
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/16/2025
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Justin Worsley is an illustrator, author, and toy designer. After nearly thirty years of designing toys, he decided it was time for a change and followed his long-held dream of becoming a children's book illustrator and graduated from Cambridge School of Art in 2023. When he's not working, he's usually riding his bike or walking his dog, Percy.

Editorial Reviews

"[This] story will find a ready audience among those readers with a love of potty humor (and they are many). Beyond the gross-out factor, Henry’s happy-go-lucky energy calls to mind Harry the Dirty Dog and that classic canine Clifford, while Worsley’s expressive watercolors, painted broadly and simply, are perfectly lovely. Scatological humor and eye-catching images make for a delightfully oddball tale." —Kirkus reviews

From the Publisher

2025-06-13
An artistic dog gets his day.

This book is about dog poop. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, maybe a bit more, if you view it in the right light. Henry is a tan, floppy-eared pup who’s trotting through an urban park wearing a jaunty red collar and a grin. He appreciates art, gazing upon a Keith Haring–style mural, and then admiring a garden of abstract sculptures. One sculpture is wavy and brown, foreshadowing the book’s premise: Henry makes sculptures of his own—his droppings. Readers may be a bit unenthused by Henry’s art; so is his owner, who quickly tosses his waste into the trash. But the park’s bugs know better. A coterie of ladybugs, ants, snails, and pill bugs transport Henry’s efforts to the surprisingly cosmopolitan, bustling Bug Hotel, where they can admire them further. The book raises humorous questions that it declines to answer: How can one consider poop sculpted? Is this artwork preserved in its current state or permitted to decay naturally? But the story will find a ready audience among those readers with a love of potty humor (and they are many). Beyond the gross-out factor, Henry’s happy-go-lucky energy calls to mind Harry the Dirty Dog and that classic canine Clifford, while Worsley’s expressive watercolors, painted broadly and simply, are perfectly lovely. Henry’s owner is tan-skinned, bespectacled, and bald.

Scatological humor and eye-catching images make for a delightfully oddball tale.(Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews