Henry Huggins

Ribsy is the only nonhuman character in the novel. Though Cleary does anthropomorphize him at times, Ribsy behaves like a regular dog. When Henry first discovers Ribsy, the mangy, flea-bitten hound gets his name from his gaunt appearance. Henry ingratiates himself to the starving dog by sharing his ice cream cone, and the two are inseparable from that point. Though it is easy for Henry to fall in love with the idea of having a dog, as soon as he tries to transport the animal on the bus, Henry learns that caring for a pet Is much harder than it seems. When Ribsy is a constant menace, Henry reminds others and himself, “He’s a good dog” (19). From flea baths to purchasing collars and leashes to weekly trips to purchase dog food, Henry quickly learns that pet ownership is a large, expensive responsibility. Despite the burden of his care, Ribsy becomes a member of the Huggins family and follows Henry everywhere he goes, including waiting for him after school.

Ribsy is loyal, but his mischievousness and curiosity lead to humorous antics. Ribsy’s missteps create obstacles for Henry, which often lead to his good fortune. For example, Ribsy’s barking causes Henry to miss his aim and lose Scooter’s football. As a result, Henry must earn enough money to replace the football. Later when the car owner returns the ball, Henry now has enough money to purchase his football. When Ribsy knocks over the paint, Henry gets an reprieve from performing the lead role in the operetta. Cleary uses Ribsy’s canine misbehavior as a catalyst for Henry’s character growth, and despite Henry’s claim at first that “He wasn’t any special kind of dog” (4), Ribsy becomes a companion who teaches Henry valuable lessons about responsibility, caring for others, and friendship. Ribsy unintentionally causes trouble, and Henry must learn to adapt and make quick decisions to manage the dog and the consequences of his actions. Ribsy’s playful nature mirrors the youthful spirit of childhood that permeates the novel and highlights the bond that can exist between a human and an animal. 

Scooter is Henry’s slightly older neighbor who sometimes functions as an antagonist though he rarely directly causes conflict. Scooter is the stereotypical older kid in the neighborhood who flaunts his status and constantly tries to one-up everyone or impress his friends with his talents or possessions. The reader first meets Scooter on the bus ride in Chapter 1 as he taunts Henry for trying to transport a dog on the bus. Scooter doesn’t directly cause any external conflict on the bus ride as Ribsy frees himself from the bag and mayhem ensues. However, Scooter’s needling increases Henry’s emotional stress as he worries about the bus driver and the riders discovering his secret. Later when Scooter comes over to brag about his new football, Henry’s inner monologue reveals his envy of Scooter, but he maintains a cool façade. Though Scooter doesn’t cause Henry to lose the football, he makes him feel awful about the accident and again causes Henry intense stress as he scrambles to find a way to replace the ball. Scooter vaguely threatens, “You lost my new ball and you’re going to have to buy me a new one. If you don’t I’ll-I’ll…” (67). The dog show gives Scooter another chance to orchestrate a victory against his friends as he asserts his dog is superior, but he fails to deliver.

Scooter’s insecurities are revealed in the last chapter when he attempts to show off riding his bike with no hands, a trick every kid has tried at some point. He crashes into a tree and, even as he picks himself up off the ground, maintains that he succeeded. Scooter may be the oldest kid on the block, but his actions reveal a lack of self-confidence as he constantly tries to prove himself to the other kids. In the end, he defends Henry and fights for Ribsy to stay. The boy who is usually at odds with the other kids stands now in solidarity as they all unite to save Ribsy and help their friend. Because Scooter is a three-dimensional character, readers discover that despite his insecurity-fueled boastfulness, he is capable of kindness. Through Scooter, Henry learns how to deal with difficult people and find friendships and allies in unlikely places.

Beatrice “Beezus” Quimby is Henry’s neighbor and, by proximity, one of Henry’s friends. The three girls of Klickitat Street (Beezus, her best friend Mary Jane, and Ramona) and the three boys (Henry, Robert, and Scooter), set up the classic girls-versus-boys trope familiar to this age group. Whereas children play freely together in toddler and preschool years, as they move into the middle grades, gender differences begin to appear, and social dynamics become complicated and sometimes erupt into conflict. The girls create a realistic social dynamic for Henry and his friends as the children must learn to live and play together in the neighborhood. Just as their conflict threatens to boil over in Chapter 6, the kids band together to support Henry when he might lose Ribsy. Beezus and Mary Jane forget their annoyance with Robert and Henry and loyally defend their peer. The presence of Beezus also becomes a bridge to Cleary’s later work as she becomes the protagonist of the first book in the Ramona series. However, it is Beezus’s feisty little sister, Ramona, a mere annoyance in this novel, who will become the main character in Cleary’s most famous series.