Harry the Poisonous Centipede Books in Order

Harry the Poisonous Centipede is a small-scale adventure series in the best possible way. The world is huge, scary, and often disgusting, but only because we are seeing it from the height of a centipede. Harry is supposed to be a fierce, venomous hunter. In practice, he is curious, hungry, easy to panic, and much more lovable than he would like to admit.

That mismatch is the joke, and the heart, of the series.

Banks builds the books around the language Harry uses to understand the world. People are Hoo-Mins. Birds and other predators become flying swoopers, furry biters, belly crawlers, and other nightmare creatures. Because the vocabulary comes from Harry's point of view, everyday things feel fresh again. A patch of garden becomes a wilderness. A box can turn into a ship. A puddle can feel like an ocean.

The first book introduces Harry and his friend George as they edge into the dangerous no-top world above their nest-tunnel. Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure raises the stakes by sending Harry out to rescue George. Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea pushes the two friends even farther from home, after they are carried away in a crate and stranded in a strange new landscape. Each story works on its own, but reading in order lets you enjoy Harry growing a little braver, even when he is still complaining.

These books are funny, but not in a wink-at-the-reader way. Banks takes Harry's fears seriously, which makes the comedy land harder. Friendship, loyalty, and survival matter. So does the pleasure of gross details, crunchy snacks, lurking enemies, and the constant feeling that something with too many legs might have a very bad day.

They are delightfully squirmy.

If you like animal stories with a strong voice, simple stakes, and a lot of forward motion, this series is an easy recommendation. It works well for reading aloud, for newly confident independent readers, and for grown-ups who enjoy seeing the world made strange by a creature who is both ridiculous and heroic. Harry may never be fearless, but that is exactly why following him is so much fun.