Customer Reviews

Henry Potty and the Pet Rock: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Henry Potty and the Pet Rock is an adorable unauthorized Harry Potter parody written by Valerie Estelle Frankel. Henry Potty is the baby left in an asparagus crate on the doorstep of the Dorky family, relegated to the lowly status of household slave. Though his daily duties involve catering to the whims of Dumpy Dorky and his Dorky parents, Henry is fully aware that he is destined to be the hero of the novel, and bides his time with a room filled with the various action figures, games, and merchandise that will inevitably be in demand when his heroics are recognized.

When Henry receives an acceptance letter to Chickenfeet Academy in California from Professor Bumbling Bore, the Dorkys are eager to send him on his way. With the lackluster aid of his fairy godmother, Henry boards the Chickenfeet trainer for his new life as a "gizzard." Once at school, Henry and his classmates are greeted by the large and hairy Higgle, who ushers them on to a long and boring introduction from Professor Bore, then to dorm selection by the "sorting rat" under the direction of Miss McGonk. After being bitten by the sorting rat, Henry meets his new Heroes Dorm roommates, Horrendous Gangrene, a "which," and Really Wimpy, another gizzard. While Horrendous and Really work to defeat the pungent Lord Revolting while keeping up with their school assignments, Henry will valiantly take the credit for their accomplishments.

Though intended as a children's book, Henry Potty and the Pet Rock has no discernable age limit, as the cover reveals when it states "For ages 2-222." The story flows with a corniness that will make young children giggle, dotted with random jokes to keep an adult reader's attention.

Armchair Interviews says: Even Frankel's bio at the end of the book is filled with humor.

Clever light satire abound in this whimsical farce. It is a great, humorous read, complete with insightful humor appropriate for kids and still funny for adults. Highly recommended!

I so very much enjoyed reading Valerie Frankel's novel, Henry Potty and the Pet Rock." With deft humor she is able to capture everything from fairy tales gone astray to the plight of the working poor and the unions that should be advocating for them, all in a fantasy world based on the runaway best selling Harry Potter series. What is exceptional about this parody is that it is perfectly suitable for children who are enchanted with Harry Potter novels and/or movies, yet will keep an adult's attention until the last page. Ideal for reading aloud to children, this novel has the ability to bring family members of all ages together.

It is my hope that we will see many more novels by this most promising young author in the future.

Henry Potty and The Pet Rock is a hilarious Children's Fiction storybook based on life at 'witch school.' Henry leaves the chores and boredom of his home in England to learn magic at Chickenfeet School in California. Here, he meets others like himself, in a mission to find fun and excitement, and of course to learn magic. Henry Potty settles in nicely, and not so nicely after meeting Bumbling Bore, his boring headmaster, sinister old gizzard Lord Revolting, and all the other other witches and gizzards. Henry Potty spent the entire school time in a plot to kill Lord Revolting, who killed his goldfish, and a Pet Rock, that belonged to his friend Realy Wimpy. Courageous, full of ideas and wit, and with the help of another friend Horrendous, who is a girl, they got together to master their plot. Excitement, and adventure perpetuate throughout the story, all the time with Henry in a vigorous fight to keep his position as the main character of the book. Original, inventive characters and storyline make the book fun to read. A real winner!

This is a hilarious must have book for all Harry Potter friends. I got this for my friend and she loves it since she is such a huge fan of the book.

Arriving at Chickenfeet Academy, Henry is excited. Which dorm will he be put in? 'The Hero's', 'The Dummies', 'The Scumball's or 'The Leftover's'. Only the sorting rat will decide.

"Just hold out your finger and let the rat bite it. In that moment, before all the pain sets in, you'll hear a voice in your head and know which dorm you should be in. Then we'll start our tour of campus, beginning with the cookie shelf in the kitchen and continuing on to the infirmary and the band-aid cabinet. Also, I'd like to introduce Mr. Filth. He's our resident spy and tattletale. If he sees anyone doing anything he's suspicious of, it's his job to alert the authorities."

I laughed for hours and hours-- so much fun!

Winner of the Phelan Award 2004 First Prize for Humor and Satire, author Valerie Frankel's outstanding parody "Henry Potty and the Pet Rock: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody" offers a less-than-serious twist on the Harry Potter obsession. Along the lines of Bored of the Rings, and the works of Terry Pratchett and Robert Asprin, Frankel's novel proves to be a serious contender in the genre of pop-culture satire and parody.

Anyone with a pulse is more than familiar with the worldwide renown that the "Harry Potter" franchise has accrued over the past decade - and it is this very worldwide acclaim that serves as the chief target of Henry Potty And The Pet Rock, the acerbically witty new parody by author Valerie Estelle Frankel. In dead-on satirical fashion, Frankel takes the mystical allure of J.K. Rowling's immensely popular creation and transmogrifies it into a wacky redux complete with outlandish characters and a silly - yet imaginative - central storyline. The result is a comical literary send-up that readers can't help but laugh at, no matter how inane they may find the main premise to be.

Die-hard Harry Potter fans - of which there is certainly no shortage - may find Frankel's offering offensive or even distasteful, but to do so is to miss the point entirely. Henry Potty And The Pet Rock is merely an exercise in comedic roasting; as such, it is a highly self-deprecating work not to be regarded in the same league as Shakespeare or Thoreau. That isn't to say that Frankel doesn't intend for readers to take her efforts seriously; rather, the purpose is to avoid taking themselves - or the subject of her parodical treatment - so seriously. Such is the point of all satire: to season and sacrifice sacred cows for public consumption.

Outlandishly witty, Henry Potty And The Pet Rock is an enjoyable read sure to please fans of well-crafted parody.


Rhonda Carver
Apex Reviews

Henry Potty is a parody of the Harry Potter series. The fun all starts when Henry gets an invitation to attend the Chickenfeet Academy to study being a gizzard. He goes through strange quests, and takes on weird tasks at Chickenfeet Academy. The humor in this book is really random, and really hilarious. People will laugh at the tasks poor Henry Potty has to face, such as trying to find his dorm room. One hilarious scene in the book is when Lord Revolting doesn't seem to be "all there." Henry goes through the many dorm halls, like Heroes Dorm and Losers' Dorm and the Sort-of Room. This parody is far off from JK Rowling's series. This book is very modern, also, in that it has reference to internet web counters, and toaster ovens, and such. There are interesting and new weird things, such as flying pigs, flying vacuum cleaners, and magical hot dogs.

It's hilarious! It really kept us entertained while my family was traveling! Any Harry Potter fan would totally enjoy this, with its off-the-wall references to the Sorting Rat, Bumbling bore, Quick-Grab the FIsh and so on. Plus teachers like the Wicked Witch of the Vest. You can try reading it out loud as a family--that's what we did.