Henry and Ribsy

Henry Huggins feels it's high time he was allowed to go along on one of his father's fishing trips. Mr. Huggins agrees on one condition: Henry must keep his dog, Ribsy, out of trouble from now until the next trip. Sounds like a fair enough deal, but Henry soon learns it may not be so easy in Henry and Ribsy by author Beverly Cleary.

In the words of Henry himself: boy, oh, boy! This little span of less than two months is quite an adventure. Ribsy is such a mix of four-legged, tail-wagging fun and well-enough-meaning mischief. I even became heartbreakingly frightened for him at one point (you know, in the curious way it's possible to feel heartbreak and fright while reading a pleasant children's tale.)

Besides the goings-on with Ribsy, it's show more something to watch Henry navigate some relatable joys and trials of childhood: trying to keep up with and impress an older kid, wanting to get all the mileage he can out of his loose teeth, despairing at a bad haircut that makes him "look all chewed." Yes, you can empathize with Henry's frustration in those moments when grownups don't understand and won't listen—and his surprised relief when they do.

This book had me laughing so hard at times that I couldn't go on until I could go on, especially when it came to the antics of a certain little neighbor of Henry's, Ramona Geraldine Quimby. It might be cheating that Ramona got my biggest laugh here, given that she's my longtime favorite Cleary character and this is one of Henry's stories. But, gee! I couldn't help cracking up!

I plan to read at least one more Henry book pretty soon. show less

ISBN 0380709171 – Beverly Cleary is one tough author to dislike. She’s got writing for children down pat, and her books appeal to boys as well as girls – that’s no small feat in world where everyone looks at Goosebumps as “boys’ books” and the Babysitters Club as “girls’ books”. Cleary simply does “children’s books” and does them well.

Henry would like very much to go fishing with his father, at the very least so that he can catch a really big Chinook to show up Scooter. Mr. Huggins even agrees to take Henry along, on one condition: keep Ribsy out of trouble until then. Piece of cake! thinks Henry. Blindly loving his dog, he cannot imagine that keeping such a good dog out of trouble would require much effort at show more all. But Ribsy is Ribsy and, despite Henry’s confidence, Ribsy just can’t seem to help himself.

Fantastically funny stuff! The trouble Ribsy can manage to get into never fails to make me laugh, even after all these years. While times have changed and your children probably don’t wander the neighborhood quite as freely as these kids do, children and dogs stay pretty much the same and, man, are they fun. The series of suggestions for how Henry should pull out his loose teeth is, alone, worth the price of the book. Get it for your kid – and be sure to read it, again, yourself.

- AnnaLovesBooks, 2008 show less

More earnest adventures and hilarious mishaps ensue in this Henry Huggins book. As with the introductory book featuring the irrepressible Henry, who never understands how he gets into so much trouble, most of the book is a series of vignettes featuring everyday encounters that are humorous and entertaining. This book has an overarching plot, though: Henry really wants to go fishing with his father, but his dad makes a deal with him that he has to keep Ribsy out of trouble for the two months before his next trip. This goal shapes his interactions with his dog and his friends for the remainder of the book, and the happy conclusion to his vigilant care is a fishing trip that concludes the story.

Henry tries to keep Ribsy from bothering show more others, but that isn't an easy job. Ribsy does attack the garbage man; of course, that's because he thinks the garbage is Henry's personal property and he is protecting it. Ribsy does get blamed for chasing Ramona up the jungle gym; the reader knows, though, that Ramona stole Ribsy's bone and climbed up the play structure to keep it away from him, and Ribsy is just trying to get it back. Others may think that Ribsy is a menace, but Henry knows that he is a good dog, and his parents know it, as well. In the end, Henry is allowed to go on his fishing trip, but Ribsy makes sure to enliven that experience, too.

Another fun Beverly Cleary series. I love Henry's character. He is the quintessential little boy, who plays football and loves his dog and catches animals. Not all boys are like this, but a lot are, and Henry is iconic of boyhood. He has so much energy, and he is good natured. His childish innocence and immaturity is a delight. When he and his friends are together, I really believe that I am eavesdropping on a group of children. Cleary is a master at capturing a child's thoughts, feelings, and actions. Not to leave Ribsy out - because he is just as big a character as Henry - the dog is fantastic. He is loyal, but disobeys when he might get some food out of it; he is sweet but bumbling and prone to accidents. The pair of them create a good story. I intend on reading the rest of the books that feature this silly duo. show less

Another adventurous tale for Henry. I think this one is better than the last, with his rivalry with Scooter heating up over fishing. Ribsy gets him in trouble and out at the same time in more than one instance. Both I and my 8 year old laughed out loud at parts, so it is well worth the read.

Ramona is actually naughty in this one, not just imaginative. Ribsy is pretty poorly-behaved, too. But the grown-ups aren't much better; witness the scene on the playground when all the busybody ladies thought that Ribsy was bothering/ frightening Ramona, when it was actually the other way 'round. Anyway, this is the one with the garbage, the loose canine teeth, and the bad haircuts.

They're all fun. And, btw, since they're old, one could argue that they're a bit dated... but I argue that they're almost like joyful historical fiction... children can learn how the value of a dime changes, for example. I recommend that if you have a child graduating from leveled readers that you go down to Costco and get the Cleary box set.

Henry and Ribsy is divided into 7 chapters and each works like a short story and all 7 weave together to build up to the larger tale and just like Henry Huggins, this book is a hilariously fun read!! As you read this book you'll find yourself wondering; Does a dog go to jail if he steals a cop's lunch? What happens if your dog thinks he is protecting your most precious possessions when the garbage man comes to collect the trash? What should your mother do when she gives you the worst home hair cut ever? What is the best way to pull out your loose canine teeth? What do you do when Ramona says the bone is a sammich and the dog wants it back? And will Henry be able to keep Ribsy out of trouble for two months so he can go salmon fishing show more with his father in September...and most importantly, if he does, will he catch that Chinook salmon he's been dreaming of? Henry and Ribsy is still as fresh and fun as when it was written 1954...it does have a quaint 50's feel to it (kind of a Beaver Cleaver and family feel), but that's a good thing in this case...just good wholesome, FUN reading, heck even my daughter loved it! I rate it an A+ and recommend the adventures of Henry and Ribsy to all young readers! show less

A wonderfully sweet children's book written by Beverly Cleary.  The whole story revolved around Henry keeping his dog, Ribsy, out of trouble so that his father would take him on a fishing trip.  Ribsy, of course, does not cooperate and the escapades were fun to read about.  I also enjoyed reading about one of my favorite characters, Ramona, as a troublesome toddler.  A fun diversion from heavy reading!