What do you think?
Harry the Dog
A Harry the Dirty Dog Treasury: Three Stories
Three classics about Harry, everyone's favorite "dirty dog"! Includes complete text and illustrations for Harry the Dirty Dog, No Roses for Harry, and Harry By the Sea. Children will love Harry's bath time adventure in Harry the Dirty Dog. He's run away from home and gotten into a very muddy situation that actually changes his spots! Will his family ever recognize him? Ever get a present you didn't like? In No Roses for Harry, Harry receives a birthday present from Grandma -- a woolen sweater with roses all over it! He tries to lose it desperately and one day, he succeeds (with the help of a little bird). But Grandma is coming to visit. Now what? Find out in this uproarious caper. Finally, Harry By the Sea finds Harry "lost at the beach." He's wandered from his family, become caught in a huge wave. Covered in seaweed, he's mistaken for a strange sea monster! Will he ever find his family and be ordinary Harry the Dog again? Ages 3 to 8.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
About the author
Gene Zion
77 books74 followersBorn on October 5, in 1913, Gene Zion attended the New School of Social Research and the Pratt Institute. In 1948, he married artist Margaret Bloy Graham, who then collaborated with him on all his picture books. When their marriage ended in 1968, Zion also ended his career as an author. Zion is best known for his creation of the rascally dog, Harry, who appears in such books as HARRY THE DIRTY DOG and HARRY BY THE SEA. He died in 1975.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 27, 2020
A little dog named Harry does not like getting baths, so one day he suspected he was getting a bath and ran away and hid his scrubbing brush. He came back home that evening and was so dirty that his family did not recognize him until they gave him a bath and discovered his white fur and black spots. Harry loves his family, but hates baths.
January 5, 2012
The first Book I ever wanted to read by myself and I did. Over and over. It was the "Big Bang" of Hugh's Literary Universe started here.
October 27, 2021
No Roses for HARRY! (Book #2):
Harry the not-so-dirty dog is back again and it is his birthday! To celebrate the occasion, the grandma of the kids in the story sent Harry a woolen sweater, specifically, one with roses all over it and "Harry didn't like it from the moment he saw it." The roses were not something Harry was very fond of, so during several trips to various stores Harry tries and tries to "lose" his sweater, but a kind stranger always ends up quickly returning the sweater. After several unsuccessful attempts, Harry sits alone in his backyard, upset, and still covered in roses… until, Harry notices a loose thread and begins to pull and with the help of bird, all of the thread is pulled from Harry, revealing his classic white fur with black spots. Later, Grandma comes to visit and during a walk the kids, grandma, and Harry, all of the bunch find his sweater in the strangest place.
The second instillation of a classic Harry tale is a light, adventurous, and slightly comical read for younger and even older audiences as Harry actively tries to lose his rosy sweater and ends up looking for his sweater again since grandma is coming to town. The sentences are not complex, nor long in length and usually contain just enough information and magnetism to keep the audience reading. The illustrations really bring the story to life and appear to only use orange, green, white, and black hues to portray the light-hearted story. The images appear to have been rendered with water color and colored pencil, as some of the lines drawn within the illustrations are so finely and thinly drawn and other notable details appeared to have a layered look. The illustrations appear to be purposed for reinforcing the text as not many clear asides or different perspectives are included in the illustrations. There are a few images where interesting inclusions are present such as questionable expressions on peoples faces and various insects, both of which are not necessarily mentioned in the text. Overall, the story is a simple, yet bouncy tale that previous Harry fans may enjoy and come to appreciate more as they get older. The pale and amusing illustrations help draw the readers in and are what helps the story keep its classic appeal.
HARRY by the Sea (Book #3):
HARRY by the Sea is the third instillation of the appealing Harry the dog books and it is a charm. Harry the dog sets out another unintended mischievous adventure that turns Harry into a "Sea Serpent," or a "Bushy-backed sea slug," as some characters called the seaweed covered Harry. That's right-Harry was having a lovely day at the beach; however, he got a bit too hot and decided to travel down the beach to find some way to cool off and in his journey, a wave carry a load of seaweed covered Harry from ear to paw with globs of seaweed, turning him into the "Giant Sandworm," (that some people may have perceived him as). Of course, the story ends on an upbeat and silly note that shows the seaweed falling off of Harry and a crowd of people cheerfully relieved to find Harry was a dog.
The story's dialogue and narration appears to have a fun and consistent pace throughout the book and definitely can keep readers wanting to know what will happen on the next page. Line such as, "Harry! Harry! Harry! Now he was sure. He didn't waste another second. Just as the basket came down..." and "The lifeguard heard her and blew his whistle. 'Everybody out!' he shouted. 'Everybody out!'" certainly prompt the reader to flip the page and find out what happens next. The illustrations only add to the story by reinforcing the text and providing whimsy and appeal to the story. Some of the lines can be chalked up as cheesy; however, the classic green, orange, black, and white illustrations coin the book as a classic and appealing third addition the series of HARRY books. One may not initially realize that the illustrations are rendered with the use of what appears to be only four different colors, yet the color scheme works extremely well with the beach setting that was portrayed in the book. Overall, the story of HARRY by the Sea has the textual and illustrative qualities that appeal to readers of various ages and is a comical and pleasant addition to the HARRY books.
Harry the not-so-dirty dog is back again and it is his birthday! To celebrate the occasion, the grandma of the kids in the story sent Harry a woolen sweater, specifically, one with roses all over it and "Harry didn't like it from the moment he saw it." The roses were not something Harry was very fond of, so during several trips to various stores Harry tries and tries to "lose" his sweater, but a kind stranger always ends up quickly returning the sweater. After several unsuccessful attempts, Harry sits alone in his backyard, upset, and still covered in roses… until, Harry notices a loose thread and begins to pull and with the help of bird, all of the thread is pulled from Harry, revealing his classic white fur with black spots. Later, Grandma comes to visit and during a walk the kids, grandma, and Harry, all of the bunch find his sweater in the strangest place.
The second instillation of a classic Harry tale is a light, adventurous, and slightly comical read for younger and even older audiences as Harry actively tries to lose his rosy sweater and ends up looking for his sweater again since grandma is coming to town. The sentences are not complex, nor long in length and usually contain just enough information and magnetism to keep the audience reading. The illustrations really bring the story to life and appear to only use orange, green, white, and black hues to portray the light-hearted story. The images appear to have been rendered with water color and colored pencil, as some of the lines drawn within the illustrations are so finely and thinly drawn and other notable details appeared to have a layered look. The illustrations appear to be purposed for reinforcing the text as not many clear asides or different perspectives are included in the illustrations. There are a few images where interesting inclusions are present such as questionable expressions on peoples faces and various insects, both of which are not necessarily mentioned in the text. Overall, the story is a simple, yet bouncy tale that previous Harry fans may enjoy and come to appreciate more as they get older. The pale and amusing illustrations help draw the readers in and are what helps the story keep its classic appeal.
HARRY by the Sea (Book #3):
HARRY by the Sea is the third instillation of the appealing Harry the dog books and it is a charm. Harry the dog sets out another unintended mischievous adventure that turns Harry into a "Sea Serpent," or a "Bushy-backed sea slug," as some characters called the seaweed covered Harry. That's right-Harry was having a lovely day at the beach; however, he got a bit too hot and decided to travel down the beach to find some way to cool off and in his journey, a wave carry a load of seaweed covered Harry from ear to paw with globs of seaweed, turning him into the "Giant Sandworm," (that some people may have perceived him as). Of course, the story ends on an upbeat and silly note that shows the seaweed falling off of Harry and a crowd of people cheerfully relieved to find Harry was a dog.
The story's dialogue and narration appears to have a fun and consistent pace throughout the book and definitely can keep readers wanting to know what will happen on the next page. Line such as, "Harry! Harry! Harry! Now he was sure. He didn't waste another second. Just as the basket came down..." and "The lifeguard heard her and blew his whistle. 'Everybody out!' he shouted. 'Everybody out!'" certainly prompt the reader to flip the page and find out what happens next. The illustrations only add to the story by reinforcing the text and providing whimsy and appeal to the story. Some of the lines can be chalked up as cheesy; however, the classic green, orange, black, and white illustrations coin the book as a classic and appealing third addition the series of HARRY books. One may not initially realize that the illustrations are rendered with the use of what appears to be only four different colors, yet the color scheme works extremely well with the beach setting that was portrayed in the book. Overall, the story of HARRY by the Sea has the textual and illustrative qualities that appeal to readers of various ages and is a comical and pleasant addition to the HARRY books.
Read
October 10, 2019This is a really good book, there are three different stories in one. The bonus of this is you can use all three stories for different lessons. One could definitely be used as a cause and effect lesson for all grades. The author tells the story so the reader can view it as if Harry is telling the story.
October 16, 2021
This was one of my favorite books growing up. It is an easy one for kids to follow and make connections with. I chose to read this one as part of a comprehension unit with first graders and they loved it. They thought it was cute, funny and silly. A lot of them had connections with it. I would use this book for grades K-2.
May 7, 2017
Loved the adventures of this little dog, Harry!
June 13, 2019
I mostly love this book because I loved it as a little girl
October 5, 2020
Fun stories about Harry. Oddly, the family he is part of never are identified by names.
December 31, 2020
I have read these books to my new puppy all year. He loves them!
April 28, 2025
Classic stories from my childhood. Love this so much, and so do my kids.
December 26, 2025
My children love this book and so do I, what classic everyone should read.
Read
February 24, 2012Grade Level:2
This is a fun and adventurous story of a white dog with black spots who runs away from home because he did not want to have a bath.He goes off and plays in the dirt and until his color changes and he becomes a black dog with white spots. When he comes back his family does not recognise him. he tries hard to get them to recognise him but they dont. he eventually digs up his scrubbing brush that he had hidden and the children give him a bath. They realise that its Harry their dog. The story can be used to teach students to appreciate their families and friends.
This sweet, entertaining book would be a great read aloud that could lead into a lesson about personal hyigene, or even lead to a class discussion on the places were they could get the dirtiest and then how to become clean again!
This is a fun and adventurous story of a white dog with black spots who runs away from home because he did not want to have a bath.He goes off and plays in the dirt and until his color changes and he becomes a black dog with white spots. When he comes back his family does not recognise him. he tries hard to get them to recognise him but they dont. he eventually digs up his scrubbing brush that he had hidden and the children give him a bath. They realise that its Harry their dog. The story can be used to teach students to appreciate their families and friends.
This sweet, entertaining book would be a great read aloud that could lead into a lesson about personal hyigene, or even lead to a class discussion on the places were they could get the dirtiest and then how to become clean again!
July 19, 2013
I grew up reading about Harry the Dirty Dog and I quite liked him, so when I saw a recent reprint of the story collection, I just had to buy it. This was before I had a son or was expecting one. When I re-read the stories many years after my childhood, I still smiled at No Roses for Harry. How I could relate to the gift of an unattractive sweater. Harry's solution is rather ingenious.
The illustrations are darling, in a style that would be called "retro" now, but actually was current when originally employed. I guess that would make them "vintage". There is something to be said for a limited color palette. The limitation forces the illustrator to make every line and shading count, or the whole picture would feel flat. It's probably a great artistic exercise.
Anyway, Harry the Dirty Dog is still a gem. Let's see how many generations can enjoy it.
The illustrations are darling, in a style that would be called "retro" now, but actually was current when originally employed. I guess that would make them "vintage". There is something to be said for a limited color palette. The limitation forces the illustrator to make every line and shading count, or the whole picture would feel flat. It's probably a great artistic exercise.
Anyway, Harry the Dirty Dog is still a gem. Let's see how many generations can enjoy it.
September 15, 2011
Harry is honest and cute! He likes everything except getting a bath. One day he got very dirty and changed from a white dog with black spots, to a black dog with white spots. When he got to his house, his family couldn't recognize him as Harry, so he dicided to jump into the bathtub with the scrubbing brush in his month.
I could feel how much he loves his family and his family love him. Dogs are overly honest, sometimes fool and it is very cute. I also had a dog. She died just two days ago. She didn't like getting a bath at first, either, but she got to like it gradually because she could be inside and always with us after it. So cute! This reminds me her and how much my family still love her.
I could feel how much he loves his family and his family love him. Dogs are overly honest, sometimes fool and it is very cute. I also had a dog. She died just two days ago. She didn't like getting a bath at first, either, but she got to like it gradually because she could be inside and always with us after it. So cute! This reminds me her and how much my family still love her.
April 29, 2015
This book is about a dog who hates baths, so he hides his brush, and he runs away from his home and he gets really dirty. When he comes back home, he is so dirty that his family doesn’t recognize him. So he grabs his brush, and runs to the bathtub. The children wash him and they are so happy that their dog is home.
This book is very good! The text and pictures go great together. They show the sad and worried emotions that the family and the dog go through before they realize that they are together again and happy. I love the pictures, they are so interesting to look at.
I would use this book with my children. They would be entertained, and they would learn not to run away from home, because you get sad when you do that. Being with your family is better than being away from them.
This book is very good! The text and pictures go great together. They show the sad and worried emotions that the family and the dog go through before they realize that they are together again and happy. I love the pictures, they are so interesting to look at.
I would use this book with my children. They would be entertained, and they would learn not to run away from home, because you get sad when you do that. Being with your family is better than being away from them.
September 22, 2010
I recently re-visited a childhood favorite, Harry the Dirty Dog, when I acquired some books from my childhood. Harry is a black and white dog with the best of intentions that tend to go awry, and which somehow ends up with him sleeping in the doghouse. Probably my favorite Harry story is when the Lady next door learns to sing Opera and how Harry deals with the noise. These are just one step short of being chapter books and are best for the 2nd-4th grade crowd.
February 18, 2011
This sweet, entertaining book would be a great read aloud that could lead into a lesson about personal hyigene, or even lead to a class discussion on the places were they could get the dirtiest and then how to become clean again! Students may even be able to relate with Harry not wanting to take a bath! It would be interesting to see which students are like Harry, are there more boys or girls who do not like taking baths?
December 3, 2009
Probably the set of books that really turned me into a lover of reading, so much so that a small andrex dog my little brother got when he was born was instantly named harry by me. Just fantastic and one i'd recommend wholeheartedly for all young children.
Read
November 23, 2010Its about where this dog didnt take a bath but ran away and got dirty with alot of things. But when he came home the family thought that it was different dog. But Harry ran to the tub and they gave him a bath and it was Harry the kids were screaming that it was Harry.
July 31, 2011
Another classic from my childhood. I love these stories & the main character, Harry, with all my heart. They have a wonderful blend of humor & action which ties them together & makes the enjoyable for children & adults alike.
May 1, 2008
Harry has always been one of my childhood favorites!!
Read
June 3, 2008We were introduced to Harry while visiting Corrina and enjoying her already extensive book collection. He has become a staple in our house since then!
August 7, 2008
My childhood...the one pure, good thing I carried from it.
September 11, 2008
I remember reading this as a kid and loving, but now it is just okay.
January 5, 2009
These were some of my favorites as a kid, and my kids love them, too.
April 11, 2010
Harry and Paddington Bear. Two really great, adventurous characters from my childhood. Loved Harrys bathtime story! He gets into everything trying to get away from getting clean.
September 15, 2010
I think I read this every summer as a kid!
August 8, 2013
One of my favourite books as a child.
January 3, 2014
kid tested, mother approved. he talked about this book throughout the day.
March 8, 2014
Notes:
includes Harry, No Roses, and By the Sea
not too cumbersome in size
includes Harry, No Roses, and By the Sea
not too cumbersome in size
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews