Beverley Cleary writes about the every day, mundane life of children and somehow makes it interesting. There are no magicians, no elves, no talking animals, no magic treehouses, no princesses – just ordinary kid troubles and concerns. I witness my children relating to these books as they listen to them, despite the generational gap, and I can relate to them now on a new level, as an adult parent looking back on myself and my exaggerated woes as a child. This time we opted for one with a male protagonist, for the sake of my four year old son, who has already been subjected to three Ramona books. I did have to answer questions, however, such as, “Did kids used to be allowed to ride buses by themselves?” (Henry is in 3rd grade and riding about town to the YMCA and home and such.) “Why don’t parents let kids do things by themselves anymore?” and so forth. Well, I wish it were more common for 3rd graders to be riding their bikes one or two miles to a friend’s house as I once did, perhaps stopping off at a strip mall to buy a treat (or a bag of guppies), but if I send you out to do it, you’ll be the only one doing it anymore…and then I’ll get a phone call or a knock on my door…so we’ll see, when you’re in third grade, whether you have one iota of the freedom of Henry Huggins.But, back to the book. A fun read. (Or listen, in this case.) I’m amazed by Cleary’s ability to make the everyday much more interesting to hear about than, say, a magic school bus that shrinks down and drives through a student’s heart. The closest thing to it today I’ve come across is the Junie B. Jones series, which are quite amusing but somehow don’t hit me quite the same. I liked Henry and Ribsy - not nearly as much as I liked Ramona, but that's probably just because I'm a girl.
"Henry braced himself in case it hurt to have his teeth pulled. Ribsy grabbed the end of the rope, growled deep in his throat, and tugged. Henry's teeth flew out of his mouth so fast he didn't even feel them go.Henry put his hand to his mouth and stared at his teeth lying on the grass. They had come out so easily he could scarcely believe they were gone. He poked his tongue into the right hole in his mouth and then into the left hole. They were gone, all right. 'How's that for a way to pull teeth?' he asked. 'They were canine teeth, so I thought I'd let my dog pull them out.'"
What do You think about Henry And Ribsy (2014)?
Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary is a book that must take place in the 70’s. The story is about a boy named Henry and his dog named Ribsy and their adventures. This story reminds me of the reading books I used in elementary school. The characters had adventures that were very minor in drama and there was no real danger. The big issue was not to get his upset with him. The dog was always being misunderstood which got the dog in trouble with the neighbors. The neighbors would tell the boy’s parents and they would be upset with him. By the end of the chapter everything would work itself out.The things I liked about the story were the adults and the children in the story call each other Mr. and Mrs. And used their last names. All the neighbors knew each other and the mothers all talked to each other on the phone every day. The mothers in the community would exaggerate the stories, and that caused Henry and Ribsy a lot of trouble. I would have this book in my classroom because it is a predictable story and an easy read. The story is a look at a time when people thought the world was good and nothing bad could happen in my neighborhood. I would be very curious to see what third graders of today thought of the book. It would lead to good conversations about the time period and what happens now in communities. The biggest question or issue would be it was really like that in communities back then?
—DyolF Dixon
I like the part when Henry makes a deal with dad that if he keeps his dog, Ribsy, out of trouble for two months he can get a fishing trip. Now I also like the part when they go fishing and his dog, Ribsy, fights the fish that Mr. Grumby caught and knocked it in the river. Then Ribsy fell into the water and then was getting caught by the current. Then the boat went toward him, and then the boatman's gaff caught Ribsy by the collar, and then Henry and Ribsy went into the boathouse and saw Scooter
—Gordon Elijah
This is a real "boy and his dog" story. And it has a happy ending, not a sad one where the boy has to shoot his dog.I loved this book and I know it was written during the fifties, but didn't people use leashes back then? And why would they ever bring a dog on a fishing boat? Oh well, I guess if that didn't happen, there wouldn't be a story!
—Kirei
