Ribsy [Hardcover]

Beverly Cleary (Author), Tracy Dockray (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1964 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

When Ribsy, a city dog, strays from Henry Huggins, he sets off a chain of hilarious events as he tries to make the best of his separation from home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Henry Huggins's lost dog stars in this delightful story that sparkles with naturalness, heart, and humor." -- -- The New York Times

"Mrs. Cleary's style is, as always, refreshing; The characters are real, the dialogue is lively, the humor is unquenchable." -- -- The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon, and until she was old enough to attend school she lived on a farm in Yamhill, a town so small it had no library. Her mother arranged to have books sent to their tiny town from the state library and acted as a librarian in a room over a bank. It was there that Mrs. Cleary learned to love books. Generations of children have grown up with Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ralph Mouse, and all of their friends, families, and assorted pets. Beverly Cleary continues to capture the hearts and imaginations of children of all ages throughout the world.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 1, 1964)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688216625
• ISBN-13: 978-0688216627
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #701,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Beverly Cleary's birthday, April 12th, is celebrated across the country on D.E.A.R. Day, with activities related to the Drop Everything and Read Program. One of the most popular and honored authors of all time, Beverly Cleary has won the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, and both Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. She makes her home in coastal California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Want Your Kids to Love Reading....., December 9, 2002

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ribsy (Avon Camelot Books) (Paperback)

Like one of the other posters, I was introduced to this book when my 4th grade teacher (Mrs. Evelyn Smith, thank you wherever you are) would read a chapter apiece to us every day after lunch. We were awed into suspence, wondering if poor old Ribsy would ever find his way home. So I later bought the book and occasionally read it to my nephews and nieces nearly 30 years later. If you want your kids to love reading, I suggest that you buy this, read a chapter a night before bedtime, and soon they will want to read it themselves to find out what hapened next. May God Bless the memory of Bevery Cleary.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You cannot lose with this delightful story..., September 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ribsy (Avon Camelot Books) (Paperback)

Our teacher read this to us in the 5th grade and I never forgot it. I loved it so much I bought my own copy with my allowance and read it again-twice. Now I buy it for all my cousins, nieces and nephews and my friends children and they love it, too. It lead me to read the other wonderful stories by Cleary which I also highly recommend.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome departure for Cleary, good story, February 27, 2005

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ribsy (Avon Camelot Books) (Paperback)

Ribsy gets into the wrong car at a shopping center, and soon finds himself lost, far away from Henry Huggins and no idea of how to get home. He undergoes a series of adventures, almost all of them related to encounters with people from different walks of life who treat him in different ways. A desperate Henry keeps searching, but as time passes, it seems that the two might never be reunited.

This is a very different book for Cleary. Not only is she writing about things from Ribsy's perspective, but she also wanders into the homes of several people who are fundamentally different from wholesome Huggins and Quimby families. Letting us see people who want to use Ribsy for their own ends gives us a glimpse into human nature that doesn't come through in the Ramona books.

These differences make this book stand out from the other Cleary books, and I really enjoyed it as a child. There are some quirky and imaginative adventures in store for Ribsy, and it's easy to get invested in the desires of the dog and the boy, who just want to find each other and be happy together.

This is one of the best books from among Cleary's early work, and I recommend it for anyone who might not be interested in her other books.