Book 6 of 6 ( )

Rereading in memory of Beverly Cleary, a childhood favorite author. She knew dogs! ( )

Henry Huggins' dog Ribsy wants to accompany the family in their new car, but gets lost in the shopping center parking lot and gets into another car by mistake, and goes home with the wrong family. Over the next month, Henry and Ribsy search for each other and are finally reunited - but not before Ribsy gets a violet-scented bubble bath, attends an old ladies' book club, chases a squirrel around a school classroom, attends a high school football game, and gets stuck on a fire escape.

Almost 4-yo was semi-interested in Ribsy, but lost interest part way through (she only has eyes/ears for Ramona). Neil Patrick Harris does an excellent job with the audiobook, though! ( )

After a shopping trip gone somewhat wrong, Henry's dog, Ribsy, ends up lost. So begins an adventure of ups and downs on this lively and loyal canine's quest to find his way back home in Ribsy by author Beverly Cleary.

Gee. I know I read this book at some point during my childhood, and I'll bet I enjoyed it. I also think it's very likely that I enjoyed it even more this time around.

While this is another Henry Huggins and Ribsy tale, this one is mostly from middle-aged Ribsy's point of view. (Double gee. Did that detail ever stick out to me before, that friendly and enthusiastic Ribsy is middle-aged?)

This book didn't have quite as many laughs for me as other Henry books, but I felt just as much. Felt for Ribsy through all of the twists and turns on his search for home and his favorite boy. Couldn't help but smile at Ribsy's antics and his "making every effort to be charming" even under new and strange circumstances.

It's funny how insightful this story manages to be, giving glimpses into the lives of an interesting mix of people along the way. And with the way various moments during Ribsy's journey tugged on my heartstrings, the moments of excitement were all the more satisfying.

Yup. Emotional, exciting, and satisfying all around. A book with plenty more reasons why Cleary is still my all-time favorite children's book author. ( )

Henry Huggins' dog, Ribsy, accidentally gets into the wrong station wagon at the mall and finds himself going home with a family of girls, who then proceed to give him - horrors - a bubble bath. He manages to run away and then spends the rest of the book trying to find his way back home to his boy, Henry.
I find this type of narrative (family pet gets lost and has various adventures while trying to get back home) frustrating - I just want pet and family reunited, already! Charlie felt the frustration, too, but we were still rooting for Ribsy. ( )