TO OWN A DOG
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The life of the third grade protagonist becomes more exciting when he finds a companionable stray dog; just getting him home via public transportation proves his first challenge. The friendly mongrel is so thin that Henry dubs him "Ribsy." Soon accepted as one of the family, this dog accompanies his new master wherever possible; in fact he even causes many incidents of local mayhem and amusement. Henry deals with various crises such as lost property, guppy mania, night crawlers, the shool play and a pet show. But a serious threat to their kid-dog
relationship destroys Henry's peace of mind, when a boy appears who claims to be the dog's former owner. This is Lite Reading for elementary students, with plenty of dialogue, juvenile antics and conflict. This story is enchanced by Lois Darling's cute sketches. Set in those happy days before kids had TV sets, this ALA notable story explores the joys and woes
of pet ownership. No more will Henry need to wish for something exciting to happen! Hinted themes include the subject of Cheating and the concept of sharing/showing compassion for others. Note to Cleary fans: Beezus and Ramona appear here too.
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A Good Light-Hearted Story
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Nothing exciting ever happened to Henry Huggins. That is, until the day he met a stray dog and decided that he HAD to keep him. Predictably, he and "Ribsy" have many humorous adventures together, and these stories are what make up "Henry Huggins". From that first ride home that starts on a city bus and ended in a police car, to a dog show that sees Ribsy sporting pink fur, to the final test of loyalty that will make all readers breathless with anticipation, the story is well told. Everything in this book is carried out in a pleasant and easy-to-read manner, so children should have no trouble staying with the story, even if there are few pictures. Even though it was published over 50 years ago, "Henry Huggins" is still a valuable book to have in your collection.
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A Review by Jin Huang, Class 5-506
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In November, I read a book that was comical. Henry Huggins is a boy that had no excitement in his life until he found a dog on the streets. He was buying an ice cream cone and he met a dog. Then, he wanted to bring him home. He got on the bus home, but the dog ruined everything. Henry got kicked out of the bus five times. Then the police came, and Henry got so scared for he thought the policemen would take him away. Instead, the policemen just took him home. Henry named the dog Ribsy "because you could even see his ribs." The most important part was when Henry entered a dog show because he wanted to win something. Ribsy slid in the mud, so Henry used talcum powder on Ribsy. Henry didn't know it was pink and the judges said "that is a weird dog." Would Ribsy win anything? Or would he lose? A few months later, a boy came and claimed that Ribsy was his dog. Then they had a competition. Who would Ribsy choose? I hated the part when a boy came because Henry and Ribsy wee having a happy life, but the boy came to ruin it. How come Ribsy was on the streets? If I was Henry I would say "go home" and if he didn't I'll beat him up. Who will Ribsy choose? Who will he want to go with when the competition starts? I think this book is good for a kid who found a dog without a collar that belonged to someone else because you could see what this boy went through.
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Thank You to Beverly Cleary and Henry Huggins!
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My 9-year-old son wasn't an avid or enthusiastic reader, and when it came time for his first book report, my husband and I panicked. We were afraid we'd never find a book that sparked his interest enough to want to read through to the end. Thank goodness for Henry Huggins. This story is simply adorable, and I was delighted to see my son laugh out loud as he read the book. After he finished a chaper, he'd run and tell me what new mess Henry and his lovable scoundrel of a dog, Ribsy, had gotten themselves into. In fact, I actually caught my son reading the book on his own, with no prodding from me or his father. This book was published in 1950 and so my son did have a few questions about why things were so inexpensive in the story, but other than that, "Henry Huggins" is not dated at all and the story is just entertaining now as it was in the 1950s. I am so thankful that I purchased this book and that it not only kept my son's interest but helped him realize that books could be fun. This story should be a great first "chapter book" for any child who is ready to move past picture books.
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Five Stars
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This was a funny story about a boy and his dog. It all started when Henry Huggins found a lost dog outside of the drugstore one day after buying some ice cream. After a complicated ride on the bus, Henry gets the dog home and his mom says he can keep him. Henry names the dog Ribsy. The two have many adventures in the year they are together. This includes winning a dog show, and getting their picture in a newspaper. Unfortunately it is this very picture that leads the dogs original owner back to the dog. I liked this book because I thought it was very funny. One particular part of the book has everyone fall to the floor and unable to get up because of some apples a lady dropped when the dog got loose. Henry makes a great buy at the pet store and brings home two guppies that quickly multiply. Before he knows it he has hundreds of baby guppies. My favorite part of the story is when the original owner tracks them down with the help of the newspaper picture, and wants his dog back. They decide to let the dog choose who he wants to go with. Henry and the stranger stand back and each call to the dog. To Henry's surprise the dogs name is Dizzy. After what seemed like forever to the boys, Ribsy chooses Henry.
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