Henry and Anthony is a charming novel about friendship and loyalty. Henry is a Canada goose, Anthony a lost homing pigeon. They have unusual adventures. Henry grows up on a university campus where he experiments with speed flight, a skill that he uses in future challenges as he travels the world with a small gaggle of friends.
On one level Henry and Anthony is a children's story, although, as such, illustrations would have helped kids understand more of the humor and insights. The photographs at the end of the book help somewhat. It's evident that H. Lynn Beck really knows geese. We own a family of geese; I found myself nodding frequently at his descriptions of their behavior. I read the first few pages to my grandson and he interrupted several times to say, "Hey, our goose Chip does that!" or "That's just like Chip's and Lady's goslings!"
On a deeper level, I consider the story an allegory about a youth facing and overcoming challenges, from physical to social to spiritual. Henry loses a foot in an accident, but pursues an inner drive to discover his purpose in life; he spends time with a flock of geese who become intoxicated from strange berries near a highway and create havoc, and as a result he learns a lesson in choosing his friends wisely.
I admit I was put off at first by the devotion of the Henry and his parents to The Great Goose. I thought, oh this is going to be a sermon in disguise. However, Beck blends the religious faith of Henry's family with the wider view of a society of both believers and non-believers (whether human or geese, ducks or pigeons). The author treats all his characters with the equanimity of a person who sincerely cares about others.
The clear writing style makes it easy to read aloud to children (or silently to oneself as well). I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys animal stories and allegories.
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