Harry is one dog who does not like baths, so he conceives a clever canine caper. He buries the family scrub brush in the
backyard and then runs away before the family can grab him for a dip in the tub. Once gone, Harry gets into all sorts of doggy mischief, and in the process gets dirtier and dirtier.
Finally, instead of being a white dog with black spots, he is a black dog with white spots, and is now totally unrecognizable. When he finally returns home to his family, he discovers that they are searching for him, but do not even realize that he is right under their noses! He tries everything he can think of to convince them that he is their own dog Harry including all of his clever doggy tricks, but still they do not recognize him. So, in desperation, he digs up the hidden scrub brush in the backyard and presents it to the family, begging for a bath. Of course, once freshly scrubbed and clean, the family is surprised to see that the strange black dog with white spots is actually their own missing white dog with block spots!
Children will easily relate to the concept of rebelliously having fun while getting dirty, and certainly the idea of avoiding baths! They will also be reassured that, no matter what happens or how bad things may seem to be, everything can be made right again.
Written by Gene Zion, Harry the Dirty Dog was the first of the Harry series, originally published in 1956. In a newly released
version of this delightful book, illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham has added new splashes of color to her original playful illustrations of the 1956 version. Other books about Harry include No Roses for Harry (1958), Harry by the Sea (1965), and Harry and the Lady Next Door (1960)