Born without a left hand, Harry grew up like any other child, learning to run and walk, enjoying making art, letting his parents know he had his own mind. When he first went to school the other children asked about his prosthetic arm, but his matter-of-fact answers and participation in all activities soon set everyone at their ease. Harry became good friends with Oscar, nicknamed 'Carrothead' because of his flaming red hair, and he stood up for this new friend when Willy teased him. Soon, the trio of boys were all good friends...

Published in 1991, Harry and Willy and Carrothead addresses issues of disability, difference and friendship in a friendly, matter-of-fact way. I greatly appreciated the fact that author/artist Judith Caseley created a story in which the disabled child's physical difference is not the only area of concern. So many children's books in this vein end up highlighting the way in which such children are different, even when the intended message is that such differences should be treated with compassion and respect. Here however, both Harry and Oscar are different - the one has a prosthetic hand, the other red hair - and both differences are commented upon in potentially problematic ways by the boys' peers. Caseley isn't equating a physical disability with having red hair (nor am I), but she is subtly pointing out that many people have something that could set them apart, not just the disabled. Therefore, treating difference with tolerance and respect isn't simply a question of the abled treating the disabled with kindness, but of everyone being tolerant of others and of themselves. This message is driven home by the fact that it is Harry, the ostensibly disabled boy, who sticks up for Oscar, who hates being called 'Carrothead' because of his red hair. In the end, I think this is a far more empowering message than many I have seen in other children's stories with these themes.

All in all, definitely a picture-book worth picking up! Recommended to anyone looking for good children's stories about the themes of difference, disability and friendship. ( )

This book centers around Harry, who was born missing his left arm. He grows, changes, and acts just like every other child. When he goes to kindergarten he meets many new kids, including a boy named Oscar, whom everyone calls "carrothead", a nickname he is not very fond of. After a bully continues to call Oscar "carrot head" one too many times, Harry stands up to the bully and after a bit of a confrentation Harry and Oscar discover that who they thought was a bully, isn't actually that bad at all.
The character in this story learn to love themselves dispite their differences and learn to not think less of others just because they are different.
This story does contain one incident of suggested possible violence, when Harry stands up to Willy by lifting up his fists "ready to fight".
Overall the author teaches its reader about standing up for themselves and others when it comes to bullies and encourages her readers to never judge a book by its cover. ( )

A kid name Harry was born with out a left head. It didn't stop him from do what other people do. When Harry started school he had a prosthesis arm, one kid ask what is it and another one ask if he can touch it he didn't mine.

ages 4-8

Harry and Willy and Carrothead, by Judith Caseley, is an incredible story about three misfit boys and their remarkable friendship. The big picture of this book was to not judge others. My favorite two aspects about this book are both push ideas. The first push topic in this book is, one of the boys has no left arm from the elbow down, he was born this way. He goes to school and the kids ask all kinds of questions about his arm, how it works, and why its plastic. The other push topic is, bullying and how to stand up to a bully. In this story there is a boy who has no left arm, but there is also a boy named Carrothead, due to his hair color. All the kids make fun of him, and have given him the nickname Carrothead, which he hates. While everyone calls him Carrothead the one armed boy stands up for him even though he doesn't know the boy well. The last idea I like in this book was the characters, and I enjoyed them because they acted like real kids. This may not seem important, but to see a real bully stop picking on someone, because a normal kid told him to is a powerful statement. I loved this book and thought it was extremely powerful.

I didn't really like this book. It's about friends but it is very slow and not a good story. Not very cheery and boring pictures.