I do think this was pretty funny and informative, but I think it could have used some editing to tighten up the language. I'm not sure how accessible it will be to most younger readers, but the material and the illustrations were great. I'm American and I'm always annoyed with myself that I don't know more British history, and this is a fun way to learn. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A book that wants to be all friendly and jolly and tell us about the English King Henry II's professional flatulist – someone who was employed (and apparently given his own mansion) for the purpose of farting at Christmas events, if not other times in the year. Well, it was either that or putting Cardi B back on the stereo. The problem here is – well, there are many problems. I'll forgive the very poor proof-reading (the country name of Wales gaining an H, etc), as I may have seen an early version. But the core of the text is in rhyming four-line verses, and here there is no effort spent in sustaining a rhythm or line length, and the rhyming is dreadful at times. The "illuminations" that come with all this have speech bubbles galore, and until you learn to ignore them as pointless they're incredibly intrusive and interrupting.

But that's not all – for that is by no means all. No, we get a foreword about humorous history, and then we get six pages of a more scholarly recap of the story we were here to enjoy, a recap of the foreword, a recap of what we've just seen recapping, some bonus cartooning illustrations, and pages and pages galore, that merely serve as proof the book was long done and dusted and by no means justified the file size.

This is an ungainly telling of a simple tale, that's a trivial quirk of history at best, that thinks putting 20,000 other words together with it is enough to make this all a hit. It certainly doesn't make this a winsome, child-friendly, reluctant-historian read – far(t) from it. One and a half bottom burps.

Historically Hilarious is well researched book about Henry II of England. This book introduces the reader to many different aspects of medieval England, including record keeping, festivals and entertainment. This would be a book to introduce history to a reluctant child who finds history boring. There is nothing boring about Roland the Farter in the king's court.

Fun historical facts with lots of back matter. Probably too much, really. It was rather long for a children's nonfiction book.

I started to read this book to my school-age children, but they were not impressed. Apparently, this brand of humor is not something they enjoy. I read it to myself later. I enjoyed learning about this foible of Henry II, but what really struck my funny bone was the author’s notes at the end where she talked about writing this book! I couldn’t stop laughing for awhile, and then my adult children wanted to know what was so funny. They enjoyed the humor. So, be careful who you give this book to. It works for some people and not for others! The illustrations will work for some and not for others, as well. I am looking forward to more books by this author; I like her sense of humor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

This book was...a lot. I think the speed at which a lot of information was moving is good for a very specific group of readers, it just didn't work for me personally. Similarly, even though everything (in a roundabout way) connected in the end, there were a lot of moments that I feel could have been cut out for clarity. At times, it seemed like three books from the same series were mixed up into one, but organized badly. On top of that, there were little details added onto the writing on the illustrations that made the whole book very overwhelming and scatterbrained. In short, I think this book seriously needs to swing by an editor. (A side note on this: I believe that using slang that is popular in a generation apart from yours, especially in a book, doesn't gain one any points and therefore should not be attempted.)
Another thing I want to note is two typos I found:
Page 42: Remove comma after "Wow"
Page 50: Remove one "family" from fourth paragraph.
Despite me not liking certain aspects of this book, the information was genuinely interesting. I learned some new things and I definitely think that the author achieved the goal of making history funny and more captivating. Bravo for that!

“Historically Hilarious: King Henry II’s Hilarious Holiday Tradition” by Robyn Itule is a whimsical exploration of the lighter side of history, focusing specifically on the reign of King Henry II of England. The book combines historical facts with humor to provide readers with an entertaining yet informative narrative about the king’s unique holiday traditions.

The story is set during the 12th century, a time characterized by political intrigue, territorial disputes, and significant developments in English law and governance. However, Itule chooses to highlight a lesser-known aspect of this era—Henry II’s penchant for humor and merriment during the holiday season. This juxtaposition of serious historical context with light-hearted anecdotes creates a compelling backdrop for the narrative.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

The only reason why I would not have this in my classroom is the time I would lose to fart jokes. I do think comedy is a great way to retain information and would recommend it to students for projects. It's a cute book, I just see too much class time potentially being lost.

I can see how lower middle grade students would love this. Farts are funny. The illustrations were fun with giant cartoon eyes! I loved the end with more facts and details about the time and size of the family.

Told in rhyme and accompanied by brilliant funny illustrations, readers will learn about King Henry II (the one with the temper) and the entertainer Roland, who delighted the King so much that he became a seasonal gas.
Includes historical events which will leave you in giggles as you amaze others with these facts.