The Story Behind the Story – “Chasing Henry”

Have you ever made an exciting discovery?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Dilly the armadillo, Seth the sloth, and Opal the ostrich in “Chasing Henry,” a short story from All About Reading Level 3.

It was a warm summer day when the three friends spotted it. There it was—just down the path, sitting in a shaft of sunshine.

In this delightful decodable story, readers find out what happens when three best friends find “the biggest egg ever.”

Boy, are they in for a surprise!

Read “Chasing Henry” Here!

The story behind this story begins in the sun-soaked studio of Donna Goeddaeus, the art director and lead illustrator here at All About Learning Press.

This is where Donna creates the characters that bring so many of the All About Reading stories to life. Characters like Henry.

Donna’s home sits more than a mile off the beaten track, in the heart of a fragrant forest teeming with wildlife. A short walk through the woods leads to Donna’s “creek crossing”—a boardwalk and a rickety bridge over a gently flowing river that exudes the solitude and wilderness she loves.

It was here at the water’s edge, while she was taking a short break from illustrating “Chasing Henry,” that Donna found a little bit of extra inspiration. She found a large egg!

I’m not sure what was in Donna’s egg, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a Henry.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever found?

Read more about the inspiration behind the short stories in the All About Reading program!