BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations

Book Title: The Adventures of Harry Stevenson (available here)

Author/Illustrator: Ali Pye

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK

Publication Date: June 2019

Most Suitable for: Ages 6-8

Reviewed By: Carol Carter (@HPSLibrary), librarian

Harry Stevenson is the world’s laziest and hungriest guinea pig. There is nothing he likes more than a giant bowl of nuggets for dinner followed by a midnight feast, a night-snack and then a 5am emergency picnic. Harry also loves watching nature documentaries on TV. So when he finds out that his owner, 11-year-old Billy, and the rest of the family are moving house, he is not impressed – all those scary, predatory animals and opportunities for disaster are lurking outside. Sure enough, as soon as Harry leaves the safety of his cage, adventures ensue including riding a dog through the park, floating high attached to helium balloons and scoring the winning goal in an important football match.

As a guinea pig owner myself, the guinea-pig’s-eye-view behaviour is very well described – anthropomorphised enough to be relatable while still feeling very true to Harry’s piggy nature. The gentle storylines and very mild peril are as relaxing and comforting as a warm bath. Many children will find the fact that we are never in any doubt about a happy ending appealing and restful, perfect for bedtime reading.

This book contains two stories about Harry, ‘Where are you, Harry Stevenson?’ and ‘Come down, Harry Stevenson’ and both are divided into short chapters with regular bright fluoro illustrations. This makes it ideal for children who are just making the leap from early readers to full chapter books.

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You can order The Adventures of Harry Stevenson online or from your local bookshop or library.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to review panel member Carol for reviewing it. For more on Harry Stevenson, check out the other stops on the blog tour, too!