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Henry Huggins #3
Henry and Ribsy
Henry's father promises to take him salmon fishing if he can keep Ribsy out of trouble for the next month. But that's no easy task, especially when Ramona gets into the act.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 1953
337 people are currently reading
2476 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
261 books3,343 followersBeverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
January 3, 2018
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.
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.
September 14, 2019
As I have no brothers, guess who would always go fishing with my dad. And, how much I hated it! Now I try to understand what is the cool part of fishing. Henry definitely was eager to go fishing. This was so fun to read, as I remember I was always getting hungry and checking the time every five minutes. Poor Henry and Ribsy! Henry at least was very happy when he catched one.
August 7, 2017
I asked my son if he liked this book and if he wanted to give it 4 stars or 5 stars. He replied, "SIX stars!!!!"
November 28, 2024
this book was okay. definitely for fourth graders? i’m so sorry a girl just wants to reach her good reads goal 😭😭😭
January 31, 2019
The third book in the Henry Huggins series, is Henry and Ribsy.
Henry wants to go fishing with his father, so his dad makes him a deal, keep Ribsy out of trouble for two month's then he can go fishing, this is not easy to do.
The moments I love in this book are, when Ribsy suddenly starts growling at the garbage man, also when his mother gives Henry a haircut.
I have always loved the character Ramona Quimby, and she is here in all her glory.
I love when she steals Ribsy' s bone, and all that transpires after.
At the end Henry goes fishing with his dad, and has the greatest adventure of all.
A great addition to the Beverly Cleary collection.
Henry wants to go fishing with his father, so his dad makes him a deal, keep Ribsy out of trouble for two month's then he can go fishing, this is not easy to do.
The moments I love in this book are, when Ribsy suddenly starts growling at the garbage man, also when his mother gives Henry a haircut.
I have always loved the character Ramona Quimby, and she is here in all her glory.
I love when she steals Ribsy' s bone, and all that transpires after.
At the end Henry goes fishing with his dad, and has the greatest adventure of all.
A great addition to the Beverly Cleary collection.
July 25, 2020
This year, when Mr. Huggins goes fishing, his son Henry wants to come, too. But Henry's dog Ribsy is causing trouble. So they make a deal, if Henry can keep Ribsy out of trouble for a month, Mr. Huggins will take him fishing. Henry thinks it'll be easy, but he soon learns it's going to be harder then he thought.
This book was my first introduction to Beverly Cleary, so it holds a special place in my heart. Henry's adventures are real, funny, and heart-warming. The chapter "Ramona and the PTA" is not to be missed; it's a riot.
I highly recommend this kid's classic.
This book was my first introduction to Beverly Cleary, so it holds a special place in my heart. Henry's adventures are real, funny, and heart-warming. The chapter "Ramona and the PTA" is not to be missed; it's a riot.
I highly recommend this kid's classic.
January 25, 2021
Funny and easy to relate for kids (and adults too)
June 19, 2017
I read this book so many times when I was seven or eight and just getting into chapter books. I longed for a dog back then, and of course I only wanted one more (despite Ribsy's escapades) after reading this story. It's sweet, easy to read, and entertaining. Nowadays I'd probably find it a little simple, but for anyone aged 6-10, this is a fantastic book! It's one I'm looking forward to passing on to my kids and grandkids (someday ... in the distant future ...).
~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
May 20, 2020
We had such fun, Squirt and I, reading this. I had no idea he would like it so much, but Cleary is genius about young kids - she writes about all the things they actually live - even though this was written in the 50's, kids still relate. For instance, the haircut by mom? That has actually happened to Squirt. The whole thing about loose teeth? Oh he loved that, even though he's yanked out every single one of his own ASAP, unable to wait till they got too loose. But each chapter was a hit. Let me tell you, seeing him laugh and be so interested - this contrary boy that I nearly have to tie to the chair to "home-school" during this pandemic - is a wonderful thing. We have a lot of conflict, he and I, so it feels wonderful to have something enjoy together. He actually asked me when we finished this book - "Do we have any more Henry books?" and he's never asked that before. Luckily, we do.
(I highly recommend "Henry and Ribsy", in case you're wondering.)
(I highly recommend "Henry and Ribsy", in case you're wondering.)
May 23, 2021
2021 reads, #17. Stop everything! BEVERLY CLEARY HAS DIED! Like millions of others, Cleary is one of the authors I used to regularly read back in my childhood in the 1970s; and I've been meaning to do a middle-aged reassessment of her work, much like I did with Judy Blume in 2019, so her unfortunate passing seemed as good a day as any to jump on the Chicago Public Library website and check out eight of her ebooks before everyone else could come around to the idea of doing so themselves.
Today's book was Cleary's fifth, and the third in the "Henry Huggins" series; and reading it again as a fiftysomething adult, it's finally occurred to me why I considered Cleary an okay writer when I was a kid but not an author I immediately turned to when wanting something to read, her books usually ending up in my possession because of random garage sales or friends of friends, unlike someone like Judy Blume whose books I deliberately sought out in the Scholastic monthly catalog and at my grade school's library. And that's because, although Cleary's emphasis on authentic-feeling stories about authentic-feeling kids was a literal revolution in the early 1950s when she first started publishing them (a point in history when typical "appropriate children's literature" included things like Little Lord Fauntleroy and the King James Bible), it was a small and genteel revolution only, in that no one is ever going to consider pleasant little stories about pleasant little middle-class lives as somehow daring or compelling. Even as a kid, I was looking for stories that would challenge and amaze me; but Cleary's books are much more the chapter-book version of comfort food, detailing mundane events and always ending on a happy note, which is why I tended to gravitate towards her books as a kid only on bored afternoons during summer vacations or when there was literally nothing else around to read.
That said, this is clearly a better book than the original 1950 Henry Huggins I re-read a few days ago -- it has a more traditional three-act structure for one thing, and is also legitimately laugh-out-loud funny at many points, sometimes because of Cleary's knowing nod to the parents who she knew would also be reading these (I'm kind of amazed as a middle-ager to realize how much of this book is about Mr. and Mrs. Huggins gently mocking their child to his oblivious face, which I've learned as an adult is one of the most exquisite pleasures of being smarter than a kid), and sometimes from the pure absurdity of the mental images she conjures up. (I dare you to picture a grime-covered four-year-old Ramona Quimby sitting on a hot sidewalk, greedily taking huge bites out of a solid one-pound block of butter she's holding in her greasy little hands, and not burst into hilarious laughter.) That made this a nostalgic read and one I'm glad I took on, but has also made it clear why I had such an ambivalent relationship with Cleary as a kid, and why her titles generally sat on a shelf in our basement with all the other '50s children's books my family acquired through various means, while the brand-new books from the '70s could be found front and center in my bedroom upstairs. This title, along with all of Cleary's work, comes with a limited and gentle recommendation in that spirit.
The 2021 Beverly Cleary Memorial Re-Read:
Henry Huggins (1950)
Henry and Beezus (1952)
Otis Spofford (1953)
Henry and Ribsy (1954)
Fifteen (1956)
Henry and the Paper Route (1957)
Henry and the Clubhouse (1962)
Ribsy (1964)
Ramona and Her Mother (1979)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983)
Ramona Forever (1984)
Strider (1991)
Today's book was Cleary's fifth, and the third in the "Henry Huggins" series; and reading it again as a fiftysomething adult, it's finally occurred to me why I considered Cleary an okay writer when I was a kid but not an author I immediately turned to when wanting something to read, her books usually ending up in my possession because of random garage sales or friends of friends, unlike someone like Judy Blume whose books I deliberately sought out in the Scholastic monthly catalog and at my grade school's library. And that's because, although Cleary's emphasis on authentic-feeling stories about authentic-feeling kids was a literal revolution in the early 1950s when she first started publishing them (a point in history when typical "appropriate children's literature" included things like Little Lord Fauntleroy and the King James Bible), it was a small and genteel revolution only, in that no one is ever going to consider pleasant little stories about pleasant little middle-class lives as somehow daring or compelling. Even as a kid, I was looking for stories that would challenge and amaze me; but Cleary's books are much more the chapter-book version of comfort food, detailing mundane events and always ending on a happy note, which is why I tended to gravitate towards her books as a kid only on bored afternoons during summer vacations or when there was literally nothing else around to read.
That said, this is clearly a better book than the original 1950 Henry Huggins I re-read a few days ago -- it has a more traditional three-act structure for one thing, and is also legitimately laugh-out-loud funny at many points, sometimes because of Cleary's knowing nod to the parents who she knew would also be reading these (I'm kind of amazed as a middle-ager to realize how much of this book is about Mr. and Mrs. Huggins gently mocking their child to his oblivious face, which I've learned as an adult is one of the most exquisite pleasures of being smarter than a kid), and sometimes from the pure absurdity of the mental images she conjures up. (I dare you to picture a grime-covered four-year-old Ramona Quimby sitting on a hot sidewalk, greedily taking huge bites out of a solid one-pound block of butter she's holding in her greasy little hands, and not burst into hilarious laughter.) That made this a nostalgic read and one I'm glad I took on, but has also made it clear why I had such an ambivalent relationship with Cleary as a kid, and why her titles generally sat on a shelf in our basement with all the other '50s children's books my family acquired through various means, while the brand-new books from the '70s could be found front and center in my bedroom upstairs. This title, along with all of Cleary's work, comes with a limited and gentle recommendation in that spirit.
The 2021 Beverly Cleary Memorial Re-Read:
Henry Huggins (1950)
Henry and Beezus (1952)
Otis Spofford (1953)
Henry and Ribsy (1954)
Fifteen (1956)
Henry and the Paper Route (1957)
Henry and the Clubhouse (1962)
Ribsy (1964)
Ramona and Her Mother (1979)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983)
Ramona Forever (1984)
Strider (1991)
April 11, 2011
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.
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.
September 10, 2019
Sweet read-aloud with my six year old. One quibble: if the main questions are will Henry get to go fishing with his dad, and will Henry catch a salmon, the cover art, though charming, is a massive spoiler.
July 9, 2024
My kids really enjoyed this one. They spent the next day or two after reading it trying to catch Chinook salmon over the stair railing. 😂😂
August 9, 2017
ตามเก็บเซ็ตราโมนาในมุมมองของเฮนรีค่ะ
น่ารักย้อนวัย
ผู้ใหญ่อ่านก็ยังสนุกดีนะ
น่ารักย้อนวัย
ผู้ใหญ่อ่านก็ยังสนุกดีนะ
June 3, 2025
If I read just one of the Henry Huggins books to my students, this might be it. It has many great moments, but the fishing trip at the end provides comedy, suspense, and a satisfying conclusion.
October 16, 2025
“Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked it because it was really fun and my favorite part was when he caught the salmon. 🏆” Theo, age 5
*parent note - henry talks about knowing that the tooth fairy isn’t real*
*parent note - henry talks about knowing that the tooth fairy isn’t real*
May 25, 2021
My kids would definitely give this 5 stars!! We're already on to Ramona and Beezus. I liked it as well, but I think I liked how much my kids loved it as opposed to the actual book itself. Glad we've found more good books to read together!!
November 27, 2022
As a child, I read all the Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins books, and last year after Beverly Cleary's death, I re-read all the Ramona books. I'm very behind on my reading challenge, so I decided to "cheat" by re-reading some of the Henry Huggins books.
I prefer the Ramona books to the Henry Huggins books, but the Henry Huggins books are still fun to read. Henry and Ribsy started off meh for me -- Henry waiting in the car on a car lift while it's getting a lube job and Ribsy getting into trouble; Ribsy attacking the garbage man; and Henry's mother giving him an embarrassing haircut. However, I enjoyed the latter stories a lot more: Ramona causing a scene because she thinks "P.T.A" is some sort of special treat, and Henry going fishing with his dad and his neighbour, Mr. Grumbie.
In the chapter Henry and the Garbage, Henry is responsible for taking out the garbage every day, and when garbage day comes, Ribsy growls and chases the garbage man, so the garbage is not picked up, and now two weeks' worth of smelly garbage is piled up. The book was written in the 50s before recycling and composting, and it was shocking to read about tuna cans, grass clippings, food scraps, and newspaper going into the garbage! Everything would either go into the recycling or green bin today; there wasn't one item that was actually garbage!
I prefer the Ramona books to the Henry Huggins books, but the Henry Huggins books are still fun to read. Henry and Ribsy started off meh for me -- Henry waiting in the car on a car lift while it's getting a lube job and Ribsy getting into trouble; Ribsy attacking the garbage man; and Henry's mother giving him an embarrassing haircut. However, I enjoyed the latter stories a lot more: Ramona causing a scene because she thinks "P.T.A" is some sort of special treat, and Henry going fishing with his dad and his neighbour, Mr. Grumbie.
In the chapter Henry and the Garbage, Henry is responsible for taking out the garbage every day, and when garbage day comes, Ribsy growls and chases the garbage man, so the garbage is not picked up, and now two weeks' worth of smelly garbage is piled up. The book was written in the 50s before recycling and composting, and it was shocking to read about tuna cans, grass clippings, food scraps, and newspaper going into the garbage! Everything would either go into the recycling or green bin today; there wasn't one item that was actually garbage!
May 24, 2017
Book 15
Jake Olson
This kid is just like any other kid, Henry just wants to have some fun and go salmon fishing with his day. Its in the summer so he has to wait till September to go fishing for salmon. His dog Ribsy has been getting into lots of trouble and he doesn't do anything about it because he is always talking about the trash and how he hates to take it out. He had made a bargain with his dad, if he could keep Ribsy out of trouble until September than he will think about it. So he does every thing he can to keep his dog out of trouble and hoping to catch a giant Chinook salmon, well that is what he boasts out to is friend scooter.
His book is great, it has all these things I can related to, like about fishing and an old dog and friend trouble. Well what i'm trying to say is that he isn't the only one that is annoyed by stuff. This book very well written and in that case I love reading it. This book is most of the time keeping me on the edge of my couch, but not that often. If I could change anything that it would probably be making it have more action. With that it will be a lot more fun to read.
Jake Olson
This kid is just like any other kid, Henry just wants to have some fun and go salmon fishing with his day. Its in the summer so he has to wait till September to go fishing for salmon. His dog Ribsy has been getting into lots of trouble and he doesn't do anything about it because he is always talking about the trash and how he hates to take it out. He had made a bargain with his dad, if he could keep Ribsy out of trouble until September than he will think about it. So he does every thing he can to keep his dog out of trouble and hoping to catch a giant Chinook salmon, well that is what he boasts out to is friend scooter.
His book is great, it has all these things I can related to, like about fishing and an old dog and friend trouble. Well what i'm trying to say is that he isn't the only one that is annoyed by stuff. This book very well written and in that case I love reading it. This book is most of the time keeping me on the edge of my couch, but not that often. If I could change anything that it would probably be making it have more action. With that it will be a lot more fun to read.
December 29, 2015
Henry just wants to go fishing with his dad. But the deal requires him to keep Ribsy under control. That would be a whole lot easier if circumstances AROUND Ribsy didn't lend themselves to become so much chaos.
Fun to read again as an adult. My daughter loved the book so much she asked for all the other Henry books for Christmas. This is a clear win given my daughter is dyslexic and reading is a horrid chore for her most of the time. Yay for Beverly Cleary!
Fun to read again as an adult. My daughter loved the book so much she asked for all the other Henry books for Christmas. This is a clear win given my daughter is dyslexic and reading is a horrid chore for her most of the time. Yay for Beverly Cleary!
August 7, 2019
Want to do a reread so will review at that time.
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October 6, 2023My brother gave me this book well over thirty years ago when he was a little boy and I was a teenager. As usual, why did I wait so long to read this book? The answer is anyone's guess. As one might suspect, the reading level is roughly elementary or middle-school age and can be finished in one or two days. The storyline was interesting, fun to read, and concluded about how I thought the plot would end. Of course, Henry comes out looking like the hero or superstar. There are more books in this series by the same author. Unfortunately, I don't own any of the other books. Shucks! It you need an easy read to count toward your Reading Challenge, pick this one. Reading the book will be enjoyable as well.
November 13, 2017
Reading this book to my kids, I only wished I'd started this series with them sooner. But they loved it and want to read more books in the series. I think they connect with Henry's desire to do grown things (e.g., to go on the fishing trip with the adults). I was glad it was me doing the reading for this one because there's a one-sentence tooth-fairy spoiler that I managed to skip over. Otherwise it would be a perfect book for them to read on their own.
May 26, 2021
Rating: 4.5 stars! This was the right book at the right time! I just kept saying it feels like summer. This was our first Henry Huggins book and my whole crew(11, 9,7,3) and myself totally loved it. Henry and his dog are just so believable! I will never forget finishing the book tonight and having my son retell the fishing ending to his dad. It was as exciting as if he himself caught the fish. We will totally be reading the other two books in this story.
July 19, 2021
While I did enjoy this story, I could not help but wonder--did these people not understand leashes? Did they not understand how one can keep a dog under control by the simple application of a leash attached to its collar? I know nothing about Portland, but in my city, it is a violation to allow one's dog to run the streets without a leash (and a person attached to the other end of that leash). Another thing I wondered--didn't the Huggins have a fenced-in backyard where they could keep Ribsy enclosed when necessary? And obviously, no one in the Huggins family apparently ever tried to train Ribsy with the simplest of commands: "come," "sit," "stay," etc. A lot of Henry's problems with Ribsy would have been bypassed with some simple training.
June 16, 2017
Henry so much wants to go salmon fishing with his dad, but he has to earn the trip by making sure that Ribsy behaves for the rest of the summer. It's touch and go for a bit, but in the end, Henry's still saying, "Good old Ribsy."
Charlie, I think, is officially a Cleary fan - he's loving the Henry/Beezus/Ramona stories.
Charlie, I think, is officially a Cleary fan - he's loving the Henry/Beezus/Ramona stories.
February 26, 2020
Another fun classic from Cleary. Despite having been written in the 50s, it is still full of relatable stories for today's boys. Still, it has that homey feel that you get from 50s lit. Cozy, comfy, safe.
November 26, 2020
Fun book to listen to with my six year old granddaughter. Perfect age!
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August 9, 2022Finished with Ellet and Holden - their first audiobook!! They really enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews