Horace & Harriet Take on the Town; Clare Elsom

Horace and Harriet Take on the Town is the first in a series of books about a seven year old girl and a statue from the 17th century. Clare Elsom is both author and illustrator of the series and in the first book she has created a fun adventure that is full of friendship and fun.

Tired of being pooed on by pigeons, covered in graffiti, surrounded by litter, being the subject of practical jokes and being sat on by rude people talking on mobile phones…Commander Horatio Frederick Wallington Nincompoop Maximus Pimpleberry the Third (let’s just call him Horace from this point forward) is tired of life on his pillar in Princes Park and sets out to find a better home.

Unfortunately a lot has changed in the world, well it would when you’ve been stood on top of a pillar for hundreds of years (387 and a half years to be exact). Luckily, Horace has found a noble ally in Harriet who is more than happy to help him find a new place to call home. If only she could get Horace to stop causing trouble and stop him from wanting to invade places.

Horace & Harriet is a side-splitting adventure and readers will delight in Horace’s misadventures and the chaos he brings to Harriet’s life. The chapters are nice and short for readers new to chapter books and the funny and original chapter titles are brilliant. To complement the text, Elsom has produced great illustrations that are full of detail and that really bring Horace and Harriet and their adventures to life.

There is a wonderful contrast of language in the book which is brought alive through Horace and Harriet’s interactions. Harriet is all 21st century where as Horace is anything but! Don’t worry if you’re not from the 17th century…for whippersnappers and rapscallions who are not up to date (or should that be back in the past) there is a handy ‘Horace Dictionary’ at the back of the book.

A read that is brilliant fun and a great introduction to the world of chapter books.

​Recommended for 5+.