Go To Your Room Now! (Horrid Henry - Francesca Simon)

Member Name: markysparky

Product:	Horrid Henry - Francesca Simon
Date:	26/03/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amusing and Well Written

Disadvantages: Kids may follow Henry's lead

I have read most of the Horrid Henry titles (to my 7 and 8 year old children) and have found them humourous and engaging.

The format of the "standard" Horrid Henry books is 4 stories of about 20 to 25 pages each. Each story is punctuated with a generous number of illustrations and takes me about 15 minutes to read (perfect for a bedtime story).

Henry lives with his parents and his younger brother Peter. Henry's parents are forever scolding his naughtyness and they often have to tell him to "don't be horrid Henry". Peter is the antithesis of his older brother, he is clean, polite, hard working, considerate and thoroughly good - the apple of his parents' eyes. Henry dislikes "Perfect" Peter with a vengence, they are chalk and cheese and he feels that Peter is the cause of many of his woes (when in fact they are almost always self-inflicted).

All of author Francesca Simon's child characters have alliterative nicknames which match their main characteristics, for example Moody Margaret, Sour Susan, Rude Ralph and, my personal favourite, Goody, Goody Gordon (one of Perfect Peter's inner circle).

In this Book, the first story is Horrid Henry's Perfect Day in which Henry acts out of character, playing the part of the perfect son and brother much to the surprise and disbelief of the rest of his family.

Second up is Horrid Henry's Dance Class in which Henry and Peter attend their Saturday morning dance class with Miss Tutu. Henry wants to take martial arts lessons and hates the genteel, balletic routines of Miss Tutu. His goal, as always, is to get his own way and get out of dance classes.

In Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret, the two arch foes (and next door neighbours) start off playing pirates, a la Peter Pan, with both demanding to be Captain Hook. Margaret can give as good as she gets and is often more than a match for Henry. The kids move indoors for some messy kitchen action. Peter is treated mercilessly throughout.

The final tale is Horrid Henry's Holiday. Henry hates holidays, as a general rule, and normally moans and groans about having to go away but this year is different, they're camping in France and Henry knows all about the luxury tents, with TVs, that await him - or do they?

I would recommend these stories to parents of boys or girls in the six to ten age range. I find the books can be re-read and enjoyed each time. Henry is not a role model and he often gets exactly what his activities and behaviour deserve. Kids can recognise Henry's character flaws and it teaches them wrong from right. And they are well written and funny.

Summary: Good humoured stories that kids love