Patrick E Brennan

This inspirational and timeless story for young children endorses the concepts of service, confidence and teamwork in describing a school bus named Henry, who travels the rolling hills of a rural town, safely delivering children to school and home. Henry, driven by Ed, confronts his biggest challenge during a raging snowstorm, aided by Sally the Snowplow.

Ideal for young readers age 5-9, it is also well suited as a read aloud book for parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians and literacy volunteers, and provides the opportunity for them to share their own personal recollections of growing up and riding a school bus.  The first trip on a school bus can be intimidating and scary for young children. The story line of the book provides a comforting reassurance of the many helpful school bus drivers and public highway plow drivers who work diligently to ensure safe transportation.

The author of the book, Patrick E. Brennan, draws upon his own experience growing up in the Town of Perry, N.Y., located in rural Wyoming County.  As a teen, he was on a bus caught in the infamous Buffalo-area "Blizzard of 1977," and applies his memories and imagination to bring the return trip to school alive for young readers. His story was selected as the official book of Perry by the Town's Bicentennial Committee in 2014, and was subsequently first published in 2015 under the auspices of the Perry Rotary Club's Read Around Perry (RAP), childhood literacy program.

To support the town bicentennial, the story was written to include multiple local area references. The story and original high-color illustrations by local award-winning artist Daniel G. Butler capture the charm and challenges of rural life for readers of any locale.  

The author, Patrick E. Brennan, is a graduate of the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, N.Y.  He has enjoyed a lengthy writing career as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and corporate communications executive, and currently resides in Stratford, CT.  The illustrator, Daniel G. Butler, is a versatile award-winning well-known local artist in Perry, NY.  This is the second children's book he has illustrated.  Butler has been a featured artist at the annual Perry Chalk Art Festival and is a regular exhibitor for the Arts Council of Wyoming County NY and at Rochester NY exhibitions.

More information on the backstory and initial launch around the book can be found on the Facebook page:  Henry Loves Hills.