Ribsy a Doggone Good Read

Although the series of Henry Huggins books technically ended with Henry and the Clubhouse, it would not be far-fetched to group Ribsy together with the Henry books preceding it. Just as Beezus and Ramona is a stand-alone as the only Beverly Cleary book which takes the point of view of Beezus but an introduction to the Ramona books since it takes place in the Quimby household, Ribsy is a stand-alone as the only book from Ribsy’s point of view but a P.S. to the Henry books since it focuses on a member of his household. It just so happens that this time, that member is a dog.

Ribsy is an extraordinarily easy-going dog, but he does not like being left behind. So it is that he finds himself locked in the Huggins’ car at the mall after chasing it down the block. Because he has spent the morning pestered by a particularly vicious flea, Ribsy is liberated from his collar by Henry, leaving him without identification when he accidentally opens the automatic car window and hops out. This probably would not be a major problem if it weren’t for the fact that Ribsy returns to the wrong car and finds himself rumbling out of town with a gaggle of giggling girls. This is only the first of many interesting stops on his month-long journey back to the boy he loves.

From time to time throughout the story, the readers get a page or so about what is happening in the Huggins household. But for the most part, the book follows Ribsy’s trail, from the girls who give him a bubble bath to a little old lady who dresses him up and teaches him tricks, from a second-grade class that adopts him to a boy not so different from Henry who begins to think of Ribsy as his own. There is an interesting detachment about the writing here that is absent in the books about children. Ribsy is not particularly concerned with what happens to him. Over and over, Cleary tells us that he does not care for one thing or another, but she leaves us with the impression that Ribsy can take or leave just about anything. He is tolerant of almost everything, even if it does not particularly please him. But he is truly passionate about one thing: his young master, Henry Huggins. Throughout his varied travels, Henry never leaves his thoughts entirely. The inevitable reunion is reminiscent of the concluding confrontation between Henry and Ribsy’s former owner in Henry Huggins, with a photo in the newspaper proving the long-lost pooch is alive and well.

Ribsy is an entertaining and unique volume that once again proves Cleary’s skill at getting inside characters’ heads. All sorts of interesting occurrences happen to Ribsy, making for an enjoyable read. This is the only Klickitat chronicle featuring an animal’s point of view, but other Cleary books with a nonhuman protagonist include Socks, Ralph S. Mouse, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Henry Passes the Torch to Ramona

Henry and the Clubhouse picks up where Henry and the Paper Route left off, with Henry just beginning to deliver Journals now that he has finally convinced Mr. Capper, the district manager, that he can handle a route. Henry loves having a paper route – most of the time, anyway – but he still has a lot of extra time he has to figure out what to do with. He and his friends Robert and Murph soon decide that building a clubhouse would be the best use of their time. With a load of leftover boards and other building materials, the boys set to work, and Henry must balance his paper boy duties with the task of putting together a sturdy clubhouse. And, as always, he has to put up with his friend Beezus’ exasperating little sister, Ramona, who has a habit of tagging along wherever Henry goes and making trouble for him on his paper route. It is mainly because of Ramona that the boys feel their clubhouse requires a boys-only policy, even though Beezus’ feelings might be hurt.

As is often the case with Henry, he finds himself getting into all sorts of trouble without meaning to. When his neighbor, Mr. Grumbie, offers him the chance to ride to the dump with him in an old bathtub, Henry is thrilled… until he finds himself halfway across town and realizes he’s supposed to start his paper route any minute. One thing Henry does not love about his job is selling subscriptions, and his first attempt to sell the paper to his nice new neighbor, Mrs. Peabody, ends disastrously when her intimidating dog and Ribsy wind up in a fight. On another occasion, Henry’s subscription money collection goes horribly awry when Ramona, who is visiting the customer’s daughter, opens the lid on the washing machine while it is running.

Ramona has a large role in this book, and she is the source of many of Henry’s problems. At her best, she is still a nuisance, repeating all the commercials she hears while watching her favorite television show, featuring her hero Sheriff Bud and wearing costumes imitating his various disguises. Even when she isn’t saying anything at all, she annoys Henry by following him everywhere and earning the title of “Henry’s little shadow.” Only Beezus seems to truly appreciate how irritating Ramona can be, and Beezus isn’t feeling very kindly toward Henry since he declared that she would not be allowed in his clubhouse.

Henry and the Clubhouse is written in Cleary’s consistently simple style that shows how attuned she is to young children. Henry’s struggles with maintaining his paper route, building his clubhouse, and keeping the little girl who drives him crazy in check make for entertaining reading and lead up to a satisfying conclusion of the books starring Cleary’s first major character. And while Henry’s time in the spotlight is up, Ramona’s is just about to begin…