Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, Margaret Bloy Graham (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

Harry, a white dog with black spots, hates baths so much that when he hears his bathwater running he buries his scrub brush and runs away. Harry has a great time getting filthy in the dirt but soon is tired and hungry, He returns home, only to find his family doesn't recognize him, even after he performs all the tricks he knows. Finally, Harry tries a new trick-he begs for a bath, and once clean, is recognized at last.

From the Publisher

Harry is a white dog with black spots who loves everything . . . except baths. So one day before bath time, Harry runs away. He plays outside all day long, digging and sliding in everything from garden soil to pavement tar. By the time he returns home, Harry is so dirty he looks like a black dog with white spots. His family doesn't even recognize him!

New York Times

Harry is sure to be loved; especially by those pre-school children to whom dirt is an ever-delightful thing.

Publishers Weekly

Children's NOTES Good Reads, Reissued This summer, old and new favorites get a second run. Originally published in 1956, Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham, chronicles the messy adventures of a runaway canine and his transformation "from a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots." Despite his showboating, his family doesn't recognize him until he's scrubbed clean. In this reissued edition, Graham has added splashes of color to some of her original pictures. ( June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

This special 50th Anniversary Edition of the first Harry book is sure to become a favorite with a whole new generation of children. Harry is a most lovable black and white dog who has a whole range of adventures when he leaves his happy home in order to avoid getting a bath. He romps with the men repairing the street, in the railroad yard, and plays tag with other dogs. Each episode results in him getting dirtier and dirtier so that when he does return home, his family thinks he is a stray dog. Now Harry faces the task of getting his owners to recognize him as their pet. After several unsuccessful attempts, Harry digs up the scrubbing brush and takes it upstairs to the tub. The soapy bath reveals Harry to the family and he once again becomes "a white dog with black spots." Graham's newly drawn illustrations are perfectly attuned to the story and add greatly to its enjoyment. Children will want to hear and/or read this delightful tale again and again. It is recommended for first purchase.

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