Henry's writing career started rather slowly. She sold a few articles to the Saturday Evening Post and wrote several minor stories and information books for children. Her first full-length book, published in 1940, was titled Auno and Tauno: A Story of Finland. It was inspired by two Finnish friends who recounted their childhood experiences to her. This was followed by several other children's books, including Dilly Dally Sally (1940), Geraldine Belinda (1942), and Their First Igloo on Baffin Island (with Barbara True, 1943). The 16-volume "Pictured Geographies" series, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, was published in 1941 and 1946. Some of the titles included Alaska in Stories and Pictures (1941), Canada in Stories and Pictures (1941), Mexico in Stories and Pictures (1941), and Australia in Stories and Pictures (1946).
Breakthrough Book
Henry's first book to win critical acclaim was Justin Morgan Had a Horse, published in 1945. The story is set in the late eighteenth century and tells the history of the Morgan horse, beginning with its founding sire in rural Vermont. After finishing the story, Henry went to the local library and scanned children's books, looking for the right illustrator. When she happened upon Flip, a book written and illustrated by Wesley Dennis, she knew she had found the right person to draw for her stories.
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