Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea

September 1, 2006
Gr 3-5 -Harry is back in his third adventure. He and George are teenage giant centipedes who enjoy hunting and exploring. When they stray too far from home, they become trapped in a crate of bananas with another centipede, Josie. They make a close escape from boot-clad -Hoo-Mins - who try to squish them. They run through sewer pipes, meet some rats, and find refuge in a greenhouse, only to be caught. Luckily for the -pedes, these humans are bug lovers and take them to the zoo. The zoo folks are keen on the discovery and are bent on returning these rare creatures to their tropical home (location undisclosed). Josie moves in and has hundreds of poisonous babies (father unknown). Despite the rash of stories in which the author cleverly addresses readers, the device falls short here; translations of centipede-speak are distracting, and author comments are often intrusive. Black-and-white line drawings are scattered throughout. Fans of the previous books are the likely audience for this one." -Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2006
In their third adventure, centipedes Harry and George sneak into a banana crate and end up being shipped by boat to a distant city, where they find themselves catapulted from one dire predicament to the next. Banks recounts her tale through Harry's limited, centipede linguistic perspective: a backhoe is a "Great Dropping Dump," and Harry's feelings toward his mother are "warm-heart." She also employs the omniscient narrator, skillfully ensuring that readers won't miss any of the clever wordplay. Ross' imaginative drawings enhance the text, making this a good choice for series fans and anyone looking for humorous adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)