Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up.
Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born!
Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.
Jaqueline Rogers has been a professional children's book illustrator for more than twenty years and has worked on nearly one hundred children's books.
Chapter One
Henry and Ribs
Henry Huggins was in the third grade. His hair looked like a scrubbing brush and most of his grown-up front teeth were in. He lived with his mother and father in a square white house on Klickitat Street. Except for having his tonsils out when he was six and breaking his arm falling out of a cherry tree when he was seven, nothing much happened to Henry.
I wish something exciting would happen, Henry often thought.
But nothing very interesting ever happened to Henry, at least not until one Wednesday afternoon in March. Every Wednesday after school Henry rode downtown on the bus to go swimming at the Y.M.C.A. After he swam for an hour, he got on the bus again and rode home just in time for dinner. It was fun but not really exciting.
When Henry left the Y.M.C.A. on this particular Wednesday, he stopped to watch a man tear down a circus poster. Then, with three nickels and one dime in his pocket, he went to the corner drugstore to buy a chocolate ice cream cone. He thought he would eat the ice cream cone, get on the bus, drop his dime in the slot, and ride home.
That is not what happened.
He bought the ice cream cone and paid for it with one of his nickels. On his way out of the drugstore he stopped to look at funny books. It was a free look, because he had only two nickels left.
He stood there licking his chocolate ice cream cone and reading one of the funny books when he heard a thump, thump, thump. Henry turned, and there behind him was a dog. The dog was scratching himself. He wasn't any special kind of dog. He was too small to be a big dog but, on the other hand, he was much too big to be a little dog. He wasn't a white dog, because parts of him were brown and other parts were black and in between there were yellowish patches. His ears stood up and his tail was long and thin.
The dog was hungry. When Henry licked, he licked. When Henry swallowed, he swallowed.
Hello, you old dog, Henry said. You can't have my ice cream cone.
Swish, swish, swish went the tail. Just one bite, the dog's brown eyes seemed to say.
Go away, ordered Henry. He wasn't very firm about it. He patted the dog's head.
The tail wagged harder. Henry took one last lick. Oh, all right, he said. If you're that hungry, you might as well have it.
The ice cream cone disappeared in one gulp.
Now go away, Henry told the dog. I have to catch a bus for home.
He started for the door. The dog started, too.
Go away, you skinny old dog. Henry didn't say it very loudly. Go on home.The dog sat down at Henry's feet. Henry looked at the dog and the dog looked at Henry.
I don't think you've got a home. You're awful thin. Your ribs show right through your skin.
Thump, thump, thump replied the tail.
And you haven't got a collar, said Henry.
He began to think. If only he could keep the dog! He had always wanted a dog of his very own and now he had found a dog that wanted him. He couldn't go home and leave a hungry dog on the street corner. If only he knew what his mother and father would say! He fingered the two nickels in his pocket. That was it! He would use one of the nickels to phone his mother.
Come on, Ribsy. Come on, Ribs, old boy. I'm going to call you Ribsy because you're so thin.
The dog trotted after the boy to the telephone booth in the corner of the drugstore. Henry shoved him into the booth and shut the door. He had never used a pay telephone before. He had to put the telephone book on the floor and stand on tiptoe on it to reach the mouthpiece. He gave the operator his number and dropped his nickel into the coin box.
Hello'Mom?
Why, Henry! His mother sounded surprised. Where are you?
At the drugstore near the Y.
Ribs began to scratch. Thump, thump, thump. Inside the telephone booth the thumps sounded loud and hollow.
For goodness' sake, Henry, what's that noise? his mother demanded. Ribs began to whimper and then to howl. Henry, Mrs. Huggins shouted, are you all right?
Yes, I'm all right, Henry shouted back. He never could understand why his mother always thought something had happened to him when nothing ever did. That's just Ribsy.
Ribsy? His mother was exasperated. Henry, will you please tell me what is going on?
I'm trying to, said Henry. Ribsy howled louder. People were gathering around the phone booth to see what was going on. Mother, I've found a dog. I sure wish I could keep him. He's a good dog and I'd feed him and wash him and everything. Please, Mom.
I don't know, dear, his mother said. You'll have to ask your father.
Mom! Henry wailed. That's what you always say! Henry was tired of standing on tiptoe and the phone booth was getting warm. Mom, please say yes and I'll never ask for another thing as long as I live!
Well, all right, Henry. I guess there isn't any reason why you shouldn't have a dog. But you'll have to bring him home on the bus. Your father has the car today and I can't come after you. Can you manage?
Sure! Easy.
And Henry, please don't be late. It looks as if it might rain.
All right, Mom. Thump, thump, thump.
Henry, what's that thumping noise?
