Horrid Henry's Tricky Tricks by Francesca Simon
| Horrid Henry's Tricky Tricks by Francesca Simon | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Louise Jones
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| Summary: A crazy collection of Henry's trickiest tricks ever. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 192 | Date: November 2014 |
| Publisher: Orion | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1444012088 | |
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Horrid Henry is up to his usual antics in this latest compilation of trickiest tricks ever. The book features ten stories, which include some outrageous pranks, like Henry trying to wake the dead, win a pet talent contest and spend a hair-raising weekend with his awful cousin, Stuck-up Steve. But none of this compares to his scariest challenge ever; braving a girls' sleepover at his neighbour, Moody Margaret's house.
As always, the stories are brought to life by the excellent artwork of Tony Ross, who manages to capture the mood of each character perfectly. Each page is strewn with doodles, squiggles and scribbles to create the effect that our protagonist has defaced his own book. Kids will no doubt love the anarchic humour of the illustrations, as well as a few that are just a little bit rude.
The stories are a mixed bag; some are a bit flat, whereas others are laugh-out-loud funny. My favourite was a parody of a certain TV chef who wants to get kids to eat healthier. Of course, Henry and his pals set out to sabotage Mr 'Nudie Foodie', especially when he insists that all of their junk food has to be thrown away. I'm sure the story will resonate with any parent who has been a victim of the 'lunchbox police.' Revenge is sweet.
I also enjoyed Horrid Henry Robs the Bank, which sees Henry and his neighbour Margaret resorting to increasingly dishonest methods in order to win a Monopoly-style board game. I'm sure plenty of readers will be able to relate to some of the sneaky cheats employed in this cautionary tale!
Unfortunately, as in any compilation, some stories were weaker than others. When the author writes Henry as mischievous and cheeky, the stories are light-hearted and funny. However, he can also come across as quite cruel and spiteful, which sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable as a reader. My son, who is usually a massive Horrid Henry fan, wasn't very keen on the book and he found one of the chapters scary, as it featured zombies. This may be something to consider if your child is particularly sensitive.
All in all though, Horrid Henry's Tricky Tricks is a fun-filled collection, with plenty of memorable stories that would make a perfect gift for fans of the series. I thank the publishers for my review copy.
New to the Horrid Henry series? We recommend that you go back to the very beginning and read the fantastic Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross. We've also enjoyed Horrid Henry and the Comfy Black Chair.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Horrid Henry's Tricky Tricks by Francesca Simon 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's Tricky Tricks by Francesca Simon at Amazon.com.
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