Henry Potty and the Pet Rock
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Henry Potty and the Pet Rock: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody is a satire of Harry Potter along with most of children’s literature. The author, Valerie Estelle Frankel, lives in California, where the book takes place. The first edition was published in August 2006 by WingSpan Press. ISBN Number: 1-59594-088-X.
Lord Revolting, murderous goldfish-flusher, needs Really Wimpy’s pet rock to conquer the world. While battling him with squirt guns and cheesy how-to guides, Henry Potty aces Hobology, preps for America’s Funniest Fairygodchildren, and tries to avoid laundering Professor Snort’s dreaded hankies, or worse, watching A History of Cabbages in Polish. All the while, the least likely character watches, coveting the pet rock for her own sneaky agenda.
Contents |
[edit] Narrative and Plot
The narrative features the adventures of Henry Potty, Really Wimpy, and Horendous Gangrene who attend Chickenfeet Academy. It features strong postmodern meta-narrative, as the characters know they’re in a book, which Lord Revolting keeps trying to spoil. The book’s narrator and even an appearance by the angry author likewise break the fourth wall.
Unlike Barry Trotter, Bored of the Rings, and other popular satires, Henry Potty is completely appropriate for children. Frankel constantly puns on other works of children’s fiction (“Next time try to miss, Piggy”), revealing her knowledge of children’s culture, along with her subtly stinging tribute to the Harry Potter Series. Frankel parodies all aspects of the Harry Potter books, including the misleading clues and unexpected culprits. Many characters from the insignificant Tollgate guard (who manufactures his own brand of toothpaste) to Lord Revolting himself claim credit for the evil doings in the book, though the real perpetrator is far more scheming. Henry Potty’s overpopularity and the panic about spoilers also appear: Lord Revolting repeatedly commits the most heinous crime he can imagine: spoiling the book.
The parody begins with a list of disclaimers and warnings, including the following:
“The characters in this story are trained professionals. They have a great deal of experience at flying on vacuum cleaners, creating hot dogs by magical means, or scheming to achieve eternal life and total world domination. Please, do not try these things at home.” The author continues on to mention the British English/American English/English English inconsistancies, parodying this Philosopher’s Stone/ Sorcerer’s Stone issues that have followed the Harry Potter series from the beginning.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Henry Potty
Henry is so desperate for fame, he’s started a fan club before he has any fans! Throughout the book he offers tours, autographs, and Henry Potty Original Kindergarten Clay Shapes to anyone who doesn’t run fast enough. Though rather dumb, he scores high in all his classes, mostly thanks to luck. He also has a conscience, a gift from his fairy godmother, which gives him hints as needed.
[edit] Really Wimpy
He’s so humble, the book doesn’t even bother to introduce him. He has “shocking red hair that probably saved him a great deal of expense on flashlight batteries.” His purple sweater says in big, hot pink letters, “My mother couldn’t afford to go somewhere exotic, so she just made me this dumb sweater by hand.” He’s devoted to his pet rock, Flaky, with whom he has wonderful conversations.
[edit] Horrendous Gangrene
Horrendous proves her intelligence by carrying a ruler, protractor, calculator, compass, digital thermometer, and pair of extra socks in her top right-hand pocket protector. Though she’s smart, Henry beats her in every class, to her great frustration.
[edit] Lord Revolting
He’s tall, dark, and incredibly ugly, with green makeup slathered over his skin to increase his evil appearance. The Halloween costume that he wears was once a wicked witch’s dress, at least a wicked witch who was forty-seven and into her second husband and fifth pregnancy. Yards of extra black fabric hang off him like moldy curtains. All forms of trash coat the dress, from cream-filled cupcake wrappers to disposable diapers. He is generally known as “You Know Who.” The most evil thing he can do is spoil the book, an activity in which he persists.
[edit] Bumbling Bore
The Chickenfeet Academy principal generally wears hot pink surfer shorts, a t-shirt daringly cut to reveal his lack of muscles, and a pair of sunglasses with little palm trees on the sides. The principal's long white beard often trails on the ground, collecting candy wrappers and dog droppings. Whenever he speaks, students instantly fall asleep. Consequently, he teaches a very very dull history class. In his office, he keeps manacles, whips, muzzles, and a menacing video on how to paint, wallpaper, and reupholster one’s house. For repeat offenders, there’s The History of Cabbages in Polish. He also has an obnoxious parrot named Socks. Bumbling Bore is the only gizzard (like a wizard) Lord Revolting fears, mainly because he has Lord Revolting's credit card numbers
[edit] Minor Characters
- Higgle - Parody of Hagrid. Higgle speaks in “mumble”
- Miffie Muffet - Parody of Draco Malfoy. Miffie is an adorable little girl who beats up other students.
- Hortense Hog (Hedwig) A flying pig, Hortense enjoys dive-bombing Henry at every opportunity.
- Mr. Filth (Argus Filch) The resident spy and tattletale
- Lames and Jelly Potty (James and Lilly Potter) “Lames and Jelly had been killed years ago, either from slipping on a pair of banana peels and falling to their deaths or getting hit by a rampant llama;” Henry’s aunt didn’t remember which.
- Professor Snort (Severus Snape) He has a hanky problem.
[edit] Allusions to Popular Works
Henry Potty and the Pet Rock parodies many children’s classics, fairy tales, TV shows, and cartoons, including the following works:
[edit] Classic Books
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Narnia, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, The Princess Bride, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Mary Poppins,
[edit] Movies and TV shows
Peanuts, Loony Tunes, The Simpsons, The Muppets, Barney and Friends, Sesame Street, Lassie, Star Wars, Star Trek, Superman
[edit] Fairy Tales
Snow White, Aladdin, The Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Cinderella, Mother Goose
[edit] External link
- [1] Book’s Official Website: www.HarryPotterParody.com
[edit] References
Frankel, Valerie Estelle (2006). Henry Potty and the Pet Rock: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody. Wingspan Press. ISBN: 159594088X.
Frankel, Valerie Estelle (2006-12-31). Henry Potty and the Pet Rock: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody for All Ages. Retrieved on January 5, 2007.
