When I was a child, I adored the Harry books by Gene Zion, with illustrations by Margaret Bloy Graham. But far and away, my favorite was Harry the Dirty Dog. It’s no secret why, really: what little boy doesn’t love to spend all day getting filthy? When I had kids of my own, I was excited to introduce them to Harry’s exploits, and they became big fans, too. (Although I think my daughter favors Harry by the Sea, in which the dog is mistaken for a sea monster.)
When I saw the photos of Shrek the dog recently, I immediately thought of how Harry became unrecognizable by his family after he played in a coal chute. And then, by coincidence, I stumbled on this great video of famous dog-lover Betty White reading the story. If you loved these books in the past, I hope this jogs some of those great childhood memories. If you don’t know this series, I encourage you to check it out.
If you’d like some activities to do with your kids after reading this book to your kids, click here for a PDF.
