Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross

Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
Buy Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Louise Jones
Summary: The first book in the classic series...
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 112	Date: May 2014
Publisher: Orion
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781444013849
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I was talking to my son’s teacher recently and she was telling me about a class trip to the library. Apparently, as soon as the children got through the door, they all rushed, en-masse, to the Horrid Henry and Captain Underpants books. Squabbles ensued when there were not enough Horrid Henry books to meet demand.

I was surprised to learn that the horrid schoolboy with the blue and yellow jumper has been entertaining children with his antics for twenty years and this auspicious occasion is being commemorated with a special anniversary re-release of the original Horrid Henry book.

The book contains four stories: Horrid Henry’s Perfect Day, Horrid Henry’s Dance Class, Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret and Horrid Henry’s Holiday. As a bonus, there is an extra section at the back of the book, 20 Things You Didn’t know About Horrid Henry, in which author Francesca Simon fields a variety of questions from young fans of the series, also known as the ‘Purple Hand Gang’. As always, the book contains fabulous illustrations by the talented Tony Ross, who always manages to capture the essence of the story in a few simple pencil strokes.

Even though I am considerably older then the book’s target audience, Horrid Henry never fails to get me giggling. I particularly enjoyed the first story, in which Henry decides to behave nicely for a day, which results in some uncharacteristic misbehaviour from his goody-goody brother, ‘Perfect Peter’. This is also the book that introduces us to Henry’s nemesis, his neighbour Moody Margaret, a spoiled brat who is always trying to get Henry into trouble. As a parent, I can relate to Henry’s harassed and helpless mum and dad, who seem perpetually burned-out by his troublemaking.

As the first in the series, this is a perfect introduction to the Horrid Henry books, which are ideal for children to read alone, or share with parents. This book is sure to turn even the most reluctant reader into an avid bookworm.

Congratulations Henry. You don’t look a day over 10. Here’s to the next 20 years.

If you can't get enough Horrid Henry, you will love Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire

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You can read more book reviews or buy Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross at Amazon.com.

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