Harry Rides the Danger by Lancelot Schaubert

Harry Rides the Danger Reviews

• 
  Kim Novak

  A children's horror book? Sign me up! Harry Rides the Danger is a wonderfully dark story of a child not only facing his fears away but actually chasing after them and conquering them. The rhythm and rhyme of the words is exquisite, though may need some explanation for younger children. I loved the dark illustrations which reminded me of a very old book of Polish fairy tales I had as a child. Man, those tales were scary, and so were the pictures! 5-year old me would have loved this book... 8-year old me helped herself to her mom's copy of The Exorcist. Budding horror lovers have got to start somewhere!
  
  Thank you to Vale and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
• 
  Rose

  This is a picture book directed at children to help them understand that facing your fears is courageous. Some of the pictures terrified me as an adult! Danger is a dog or just a stuffed animal in Harry's dreams, where he travels to various places where he faces danger and saves the world - especially from forest fires.
  I think this is a good story, perhaps more so for older children, as the pictures, in some cases, are scary. I guess that is the point, though -- face your fears, and things aren't as scary as they may seem at first glance.
• 
  Tayla

  I received an e-copy of this on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Such a simple yet lovely story and I love the art style. Very quick read yet something I could come back to again and still enjoy.
• 
  Ije the Devourer of Books

  I thought this was an interesting children’s book. I read it as a story which sees a child confronting childhood fear and rising above it. The artwork is very clear and hard hitting. I think this is the kind of story that needs to be read with children and discussed with them.
  
  The artwork does make the story scary though. I enjoyed it but I left childhood behind long ago!
  
  Copy provided by publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
• 
  Nets

  This was not what I expected at all but I enjoyed it for what it was..
  This book, to me, was about facing fear head on. It is a great way to keep older children interested and to get the message across effectively.
  The illustrations for me were the most disturbing part! The child had a weirdly real look whilst being obviously illustrated. I loved that and it added well to the atmosphere
• 
  Gina

  I like this book. At first, I thought it might be too scary to read for a little one, but once you push past the few pages of scary features of the Danger, you get this story of curiosity, hesitancy, and courage, even overcoming biases of fear, which makes for a great lesson for little ones and an overall brave story.
• 
  Katie Troh

  I got this as a digital copy from NetGalley. I think this is cute! Some might say the illustrations can be too scary for children but if your kid has watched anything remotely spooky - like Scooby Doo - it should be fine. I would get a physical copy for my daughter. It seems like it would be fun for her to read aloud (she is too young to read, currently).
• 
  The Loco Librarian

  The art in this book is so unique and striking! It takes you off guard a little but then turns into a story of bravery when the child faces the danger! I love the story, art, and theme.
• 
  Monique

  Slightly creepy and quite poetic for a children’s book. And even though I’m not sure i’d rec this to younger kids, I personally enjoyed it. But I do love all things creepy….
  Big thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Ryan LaBee

  Harry Rides the Danger was written by Lancelot Schaubert and Illustrated by Tony Otero. The publisher’s website says of the book: Harry woke at night: in his doorway stood THE DANGER. Harry learns first to face and follow Danger, then to court Danger. Harry takes the Danger out for chocolate cake, for jumping over mountains, for leaping over pits of snakes. Then he wields Danger to save lives, homes, and worlds from a world-ending fire. A children’s book written in the wake of the historic Joplin tornado, HARRY RIDES THE DANGER teaches the abstract concept of courage in a fun way. It will quickly become an early reader classic.
  
  It might seem misplaced or ill-advised to put too much thought into reviewing a children’s book. However, I would say what makes for a good children’s book that will stand the test of time, besides the use of commonplace children’s literary devices such as rhythm, alliteration, and repetition (which this book does utilize reasonably well), is that it can stand as a story, no matter how abstract and minute a story it may be trying to tell and that it can keep a child’s attention while it tells its story. Unfortunately, in the case of my youngest child (who is admittedly maybe too young for this book at 16 months), it did not keep her engaged, and my oldest child (she’s 11) was left with a lot of questions, like what was the story was actually trying to say.
  
  I know the story is meant to teach children about bravery, but as it stands, I feel like the message is a bit murky and could be misconstrued as insinuating that to be brave, you have to “court” danger, and I’m not sure that is a great message to relay to children.
  
  I appreciate that the story is dedicated to the surviving children of the Joplin Tornados, especially since the devastating disaster is close to where I grew up. I was visiting family during the Tornadoes, so I feel like I have some connection to the event, if even slight, But it did have me wondering, ‘what about the non-surviving children of the tornados? Perhaps a blanket dedication to the children of the Joplin tornados would have been better phrasing for the dedication because, as it reads now, it seems to leave out those lost in the tornado intentionally.
  
  The book is categorized by the publisher as Juvenile Fiction and an early reading graphic novel, which had me scratching my head. Harry Rides the Danger’s writing was disconnected from the artwork. The prose felt like it was written for a very young audience, whereas the art felt it would be better suited for a book for middle school readers.
  
  Where this book shines is in the art. Tony Otero’s nightmarishly beautiful crude drawings feel like they were plucked straight out of a horror movie–you know, the ones where the kid scribbles the monster he has seen in the closet? Well, these splendid images will stick with me for a while, but it also left me wondering, what audience is this for? Because I fear they may be too jarring to young viewers. But that may just be me being too prudish.
  
  Thank you to Netgalley for this early copy of Harry Rides the Danger.
  
• 
  Josephine Sorrell

  dark, mysterious, tense, open to interpretation
  
Harry is a little boy and like many young children, he has very real fears, the most prominent, his the fear of The Danger. What is Danger you might ask? Well I think it means different things to different people, especially based on the stage of life you are in. Adults no longer fear the creature under the bed, but we fear the stranger in the night. Out little guy Harry goes to bed fearing The Danger. And, every night, The Danger itself, comes to Harry’s bedroom door and roars at him and every night Harry is terrified. Is it a reoccurring dream, or a manifestation of a little boy’s fear? The author leaves that to the reader’s own interpretation. 

One night The Danger appears and it looks kind of like a wolf. Later Harry decides to face danger and takes a ride on the creature. At the end of this 36 page picture book, The Danger looks more like a big dog and Henry is not frightened, at least not as much.

  The illustrations do great justice to the story even if they are a bit terrifying.
  
  I’m not sure how children will interpret this book, but I predict they will like it because young ones seem to be drawn to scary stories. This is a curious one.
• 
  Kitty

  The art was stunning. It definitely set the mood for the story in the right way.
  It was unsettling to read as an adult, which I believe is not the demographic advertised on NetGalley. I know kids would be terrified and upset by this so I see it as more of a book for adults or parents who love horror. If I had this book as a kid, I wouldn’t have slept and it would have been taken away. I was more interested in the art than the story. I like the message a lot, but I believe most if not all kids would get confused by the style and word choice. I’m assuming all choices are deliberate, but the demographic part is confusing. I would buy it for my kids (when I have some) but wouldn’t let them read it at night. I just think the demographic of parents that would actually buy it is very niche.
  Very cool, though. And again, the art sets such a great tone to unsettle the reader.
• 
  Autumn

  I love the fact the author is able to make a children's book that is also horror. I know, in my own chicken way, I was afraid! This will be great for those kids who love a good scary story. I would also let parents know it is not your everyday nighttime tale. I want to say that I loved the art work, and I LOVED the illustrator's fact that he graduated from his elementary school in 1995 where is art teacher said, "he had good effort." That made laugh out loud so hard. Not bad for, "good effort." I would highly recommend this to some children, but not all, Parents would need to chose carefully for their child to know if they can handle it, but also children can use this to face their fears as well. So, I highly recommend it period!
  
  Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Jane

  Most kids deal with fears. Author Lancelot Schaubert has written a simple story designed to help children deal with their fears. Harry could be paralyzed by his fears but he chooses to ride the danger.
  Illustrator Tony Otero chose earthy colors for his pictures. He chose to use a wolf to portray the danger. His illustrations can be viewed as a bit dark and scary but that really goes along with the theme of the story.
  Because the content of Harry Rides the Danger could come across as scary for some sensitive children, I recommend adults read this book before sharing it with their children.
  There is nothing in Harry Rides the Danger that would keep it from being included in a K-12 Christian school library.
  I received a complimentary copy of Harry Rides the Danger. This is my honest review.
  
• 
  Cris

  Have very mixed feelings about this book. For children, there is no way I would give this book to a child. The drawings are deep, scary feeling and the story is heavy for a child.
  
  Even as I was reading the book I instantly thought I wouldn’t want a child to hear this and see this especially right before bed. I don’t want them sleeping with me!!
  
  Now saying that, the illustrations are amazing how he put so much depth into them with what I assume is just shading. I don’t want to give the end of the story away…but I would remove all of them from my remove before bed tonight lol
  
  Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!
• 
  Heena Rathore Pardeshi

  Harry Rides the Danger by Lancelot Schaubert is a dark children's fiction graphic novel that will steal any horror lover's heart. This book is perfect for a nice little spooky read for kids and even for adults who like adventure with a twist.
  
  The characterisation is the heart of this book and I hope the author comes out with more books in this series so that we can read more of Harry's adventures. This one was a perfect blend of thrills and chills, and the brilliant narration and beautiful illustrations took it to an entirely different level.
  
  I'd strongly recommend this book to all children and adult alike.
  ___________
  
  You can also read this review on
  www.thereadingbud.com
• 
  Anu

  Beautifully illustrated children's book inspired by the historic Joplin tornado. In HARRY RIDES THE DANGER, the concept of courage is abstractly explained. Throughout the narrative, a boy discovers how to face and ride along with his fear. The danger is portrayed as a wolf.
  
  This book is impressive with immaculate manga illustrations and emotive prose. The manga elements are entertaining to read and cleverly highlight the importance of imagination in times of adversity. a compelling narrative that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking.
• 
  mags♡

  An okay graphic novel that features repetitive concepts as well as a protagonist who constantly reminds the audience he's scared of danger, only to continue following it. I understand the overall message, but I believe the execution needs more polishing. And in all honesty, the illustrations don't seem like the type that will necessarily appeal to young readers. However, I do see the potential.
  
  Thank you to the author and the publisher for this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Karm Barter

  Im not sure why this was listed as a horror book because it's not. It's a children's book. That being said, the story itself jumped around too quickly for our liking. My children was confused to what was going on. we felt like the story was missing a page here or there. That being said, We loved the artwork. it was creepy despite not being a horror book. I would have loved if it was expanded a little more.
• 
  Chad

  This children's book made no sense to me. Harry wakes up and feels in Danger which seems to be his wolf. He says some lines that make no sense and then it's over. It's almost more poetry than a children's book. I'm also not sure what this has to do with the Joplin tornado other than a sense of danger. A kid's going to take this and toss it aside for something with Bluey or Dora in it instead and a lesson they can understand.
• 
  Andrew

  Very remeniscent rhyme-wise of Harold and the Purple Crayon, but with a darker tone. Was really fun to read. At times, it felt like the author got a little lost in terms of the variety of rhyming words, but the overall pacing was excellent. It has a horror tag, but it's probably more "spooky" rather than horror.
  
  The illustrations were spot on and did an excellent job of matching the words. Very vivid and the style evokes a middle-of-the-night feel to the whole story.
• 
  Ingrid

  Timely children’s book about courage and leaning into those things that seem scary. Unique and beautiful artwork that is unexpected, combined with the writing, creates a dreamlike feeling for the reader. Perfect book for kids that crave something a little bit more raw and fierce.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and share my feedback.
• 
  Georgie

  Harry rides the danger is a sweet, but scary story about bravery. The illustrations are fantastic, and as an adult I really appreciate the imagery. I'm not sure whether the storyline, which is suitable for younger kids matches with the graphics. As a mum I don't think I'd want my kid reading it until they were a tween. Fab if that is who it is aimed at!
• 
  Amy

  I thought this book was really cute. Children deal with anxiety and being frightened everyday and I thought this was a cute way of showing things are not always and they seem. Things are not always as scary as it first looks. Very cute story!!