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Harry The Dirty Dog
Harry The Dirty Dog
Harry The Dirty Dog
Audiobook7 minutes

Harry The Dirty Dog

Written by Gene Zion

Narrated by Bruce Johnson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

In this charming classic story, Harry runs away before bath time and plays outside until he changes into a black dog with white spots. Back home again, he must use all his wits and tricks to convince his family who he really is.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 1997
ISBN9780545748933
Harry The Dirty Dog
Author

Gene Zion

Gene Zion and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Margaret Bloy Graham have collaborated on several favorite stories about Harry: Harry by the Sea, Harry the Dirty Dog, and No Roses for Harry.

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Reviews for Harry The Dirty Dog

Rating: 4.23865438341158 out of 5 stars
4/5

639 ratings59 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Children's delight
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book because it was fun and light hearted with a subtle message. The story is lighthearted in nature with Harry simply attempting to avoid bath time which leads into a fun day of mischief. The reader is able to join in on the fun with Harry through the illustrations of Graham. The bigger message of "Harry the Dirty Dog" is putting off your obligations, chores, etc., may be fun in the moment, but that procrastination just leads to bigger problems.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The main message in Harry the Dirty Dog is that sometimes we may have to do things we may not want to do. Harry did not want to take a bath, but then he got so dirty, his family did not recognize him. In my opinion, this is a good book. I liked the book for many reasons. First, I enjoyed the plot of the story. Harry was an ordinary dog who did not want a bath. I think this is a situation that children can relate to at home. The illustrations also enhanced the story. For example, when Harry was trying to convince his family that the strange black dog was really him covered in dirt, the illustrations showed the tricks he was doing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The series about Harry the dog were books that I very much enjoyed as a child and still enjoy to this day. The author uses simple diction in order for young children to be able to read and comprehend the story. For example, "Then he ran away from home. He played where they were fixing the street and got very dirty." Short sentences such as these two are throughout the book making it easy for children to understand. The plot of the story also teaches the children a lesson in a sense. Harry doesn't want to take a bath so he hides his scrub brush and thinks that it will be better to run away from home. He soon regrets this decision because he misses the family and the house. This teaches children that just because they may not want to do something, sometimes they realize that going against the rules isn't as great as they thought it would be.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the story of Harry, the dog who does not like baths. One day he runs away and has a ton of fun getting VERY dirty, so dirty that he changes from a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots. His family does not recognize him when he returns home, even after he does some familiar tricks. Finally, Harry decides to take a bath so he can return home. This was a fun, playful story which I enjoyed reading. I could use this book as a mentor text for teaching superlatives. Harry gets dirty, dirtier, dirtier still and dirtiest before returning home.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thought this was a very cute book. Any student with a dog can relate to this story. I really like the language in this story. It is simple to read and understand. I also found it easy to use different tones when reading it. It is a fun book to read allowed. I also liked the plot. If your dog has ever wondered away, you wonder what they are doing and why they ran away. In this story, the student reads what Harry does while he is away from home. They also see that Harry comes home and has a happy ending, which would help any student who's dog has run away. The main idea in this story, I think, is be thankful for what you have. When Harry left home, he had fun for a short time but then became hungry and tired. He went home because he missed his family.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really adored Harry the Dirty Dog for a number of reason, but I will name three. The first reason I enjoyed this book was because of the illustrations. I found the author did a great job capturing the written story and transferring it into an image. The author used bright colors and drew captivating images that caught my eye. I could see how dirty Harry was getting as the story went on which I really enjoyed. The second reason I liked this book was because of how easily children, with or without pets, can relate to it. I remember being a kid and not wanting to take a bath until I was completely covered in dirt. My parents had to force me into the bath at times. I also had a dog and she would come home at times with clumps of dirt in her hair. We would try to give her baths, but she would run from the water. The third and final reason I enjoyed this book was because of the authors written language. The author chose easy words that young children could identify. The author kept the story organized and easy to follow. This story is great for young children just starting to read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In my opinion this is a great book for grades K-2. I say this because I enjoyed the use of illustrations to depict the emotions of the family and dog, as well as how the story uses clear language. Throughout the story the illustrations show the different activities Harry gets involved in while away from home. When Harry does return, his family is unable to recognize him due to him being so dirty. During this sequence of events the pictures show a very confused family and a very sad dog. In addition to the illustrations helping depict character emotions, I also enjoyed how the story used clear language. The word choice of the author is appropriate for the grades of K-2 and helps the reader to gain confidence throughout the book. Overall this story's big idea is to never judge someone by their outward appearance. If you were to judge someone only on their appearance you would not get to experience everything they have to offer.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked this book because the author used a few key elements in writing as well as included more than one underlying message. The first reason why I like this book is because the illustrations go hand in hand in with book. When the book talks about how Harry does tricks for his owners to realize it is him, the illustrator places a picture of the dog doing a trick. The next reason why I like this story is because of the plot; it is very well organized and has a nice flow of events. For example the book progresses from: Harry not liking baths: then all of the things Harry does while not at home: to deciding to come home and having to convince his family it is him; and finally becoming a nice clean Harry again. The last reason why I liked this book was because of the characters. All of the characters are written in such a way that it seems like it could be a real family with a dog. There are two main messages: one is that appearances are not everything; and the second is that everyone needs a place to call home.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed Harry the Dirty Dog for three reasons. The book features a silly story about a dog written in plain language that almost every child will be able to understand and laugh along as Harry gets dirty again. The illustrations in the book clearly complimented the writing and helped to enhance the story by letting the reader experience what was happening to Harry as he transformed from clean to dirty and back to clean again. Finally I liked how Harry was characterized. He was not written to be just a dog that liked to get dirty, that would have been too simple. Harry was a dog that just loved to be dirty. The reader saw his discomfort during bath time, his joy while playing in the mud and pavement tar, and his despair when his family did not recognize him. This is a book that children will love for years to come.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I disliked this book, because I felt as if it were bland. I did not think that the writing style was super appealing, as well as the word choice. I also felt like it was hard to understand a message from the actual book. The imagery was pretty dull too, and I though that it was strange that the dogs family did not recognize him when he was dirty, but I also could be thinking way too much into it. The book could potentially have the message of, no matter if you run away from home, your true home will always be waiting for you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this book because it did a good job telling a story along with adding elements that would be good for a read along. This book has text that is large and readable for a young reader and the pictures are fun and inviting. The pictures do a good job describing what is going on in the story and showing the emotions that are being felt. There was a section of the book that was petterned and I enjoyed that. An example of this is when the book read, "Where they were fixing the street / and got very dirty / He played at the railroad / and got even dirtier." The book keeps this pattern for almost half of the book. This makes it seem fun to read. The "big picture" of this book seems to be for pleasure or a good bedtime story. It would be fun to read with a child.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review: This book is a wonderful and fun children's book. There are great illustrations that go along with the book. I would highly recommend this book to children or people of any age. Summary: The book starts out with a white and black spotted dog named Harry. He is laying on his bed and hears the bath water start to run. Harry hates taking baths so he runs and grabs the bath brush and hides it outside in a hole that he digs. After this Harry runs away. He runs through town playing in construction sites, train tracks, and many other dirty areas. He was so dirty that he became a black dog with white spots! After he was so dirty he went home to go see his family, but they didn't recognize him. He tries his hardest to show his family that it is him. Finally he digs up the brush and runs up to the bath and begs for the family to bathe him. After they gave him the soapiest bath of his life they finally realize it was Harry all along. Argument:
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked this book for two reasons. One reason I liked this book was for the way the story was written. The plot was very engaging, and entertaining. The progression of Harry becoming dirtier and dirtier until he turned into almost a completely different dog would definitely be a fun read for children. Another reason I liked this book was for the main character. I thought that the personality that Harry had was very relatable for some children. Some children may have dogs that don't enjoy bath time much like Harry or the children might not enjoy bath time themselves. Overall, I didn't really understand or see the big message of this book. I thought that it was just a fun, cute story for children to enjoy rather than gain a big idea.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Harry the Dirty DogBryan O'KeeffeThis book was extremely cute and I enjoyed reading this book a lot. The book was a very quick read that flowed really well and was fast paced. The illustrations were really large and took up most of the page which made this book an easy read. The illustrations helped set the settings during the 1930's or 1940's. The vehicles were made to look older and from this time period which helped place the setting of story. The dog seemed fairly believable, the dog did not talk so most of the narration was from a third person point of view, this made it more believable. The writing was descriptive, however I feel that for the level this book was written for, it was done very well. A first grader can read this book and easily understand what the dog is doing. There was not a lot to think about in this book, mainly because the dog just has a day by himself getting really dirty. The message of this book was harder to think about than most. I had to think about the message in order to get it; even when you get sick of something, take a break to really think about what you love.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely love this book. I grew up reading this book and think it is amazing. This is a perfect picture book about a dog. It is written for very young children, but I enjoyed it just as much. It is a very clever story and told with a lot of humor and warmth. I like all of the Harry books but this is my absolute favorite. The illustrations are absolutely adorable and compliment the story very well. They reveal how much mischief Harry really gets in throughout the book.The theme in this story is about identity. Harry changes his color of hair multiple times. First he is white with black spots, then he is black with white spots. I think that this shows children that it is okay to be different or to change what you look like. Overall, I really, really loved this book and would recommend it to everyone, if they haven't already read it. Or if they have they should read it again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In my opinion this is a very cute book. The language used is clear and descriptive. The plot is organized and swiftly paced. This keeps young children's attention and keeps them interested. The illustrations fit the story well and help children to understand feelings from the point of view of Harry the dog. I believe that the big message of this story is how important it is for children (and pets) to take baths. If not they will get so dirty that they will be unrecognizable to their own family!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book for many different reasons. First, the illustrations were eye-appealing and they successfully enhanced the story. After Harry became dirty, the illustrations went from a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots. Second, with such clear language, the book can easily be read from guided reading to independent reading with young children. The characters were well-developed and the book portrayed the importance to appreciate family. For example, when Harry attempted to go back home, his family did not recognize him because he was dirty. When he heard the family say, "There's a strange dog in the backyard," he got upset and regretted running away from home. Overall, the message of the story suggests that although Harry doesn't like taking baths, he realizes there are many things about his family that he misses. As a result, he will most likely sacrifice his bath time in the future in order to stick at home and appreciate his family's love.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Harry does not want a bath so he hides the scrub brush then goes out to play in the dirt. His family cannot recognize him. Now what does he do? This is a cute read! I looked for Harry on each page. Didn't always see him. Kids will have a ball as they follow Harry on his adventure. This is good for early readers and beginning readers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I always read this when I went to my grandma's.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book describes the day of a dog who didn't want a bath. He becomes so dirty running around town his family doesn't recognize him until he finally gets in the bath tub and they wash him. The book was an easy read and was short. The book only featured a white family and was not multicultural at all. All the people in the book were white and looked the same. I think there should be more diverse illustrations so that more readers can connect with the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is good for students to practice expression with. I think students would like it because many can relate to not wanting to take a bath and they can relate to wanting to fit in with their families.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I like this book for several reasons. One reason I like this book is the writing. Most of the sentences were simple which would allow young readers to follow along easily. Another reason I like this book is the plot. The book is about a dog who ran away to avoid taking a bath. Many young readers would be able to understand this plot because they may have background knowledge about dogs before reading this story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed this book because it was fun and silly but had a warm and heartfelt ending.The illustrations in the book contributed to the comprehension of the novel. For example, being able to see how the dog changed colors completely, helped me understand the book.The characters were both believable and well-developed. For any children with pets, they will easily be able to relate to how the children felt when they couldn't find their dog.The purpose of this book is to show children that they might not enjoy all of the rules in their home, but they are important and are there for a reason.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Harry hated bathes. He buried the scrub brush and went out and got so dirty his owners did not recognize him. Then he dug up the brush and jumped in the tub and had a bathe and they found Harry!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My review: Harry is a white dog with black spots, who hates taking baths. So one day, he steals the bath brush and buries it in the yard and runs away from home. Along the way he gets very dirty. I remember reading this book as a kid. I loved it then and I loved it now. It's a fun book of innocent mischief and great illustrations that clearly reveal how much fun Harry has getting dirty. I'm going to have to buy No Roses for Harry for my niece, because I remember loving that one, too. It was another childhood favorite.My niece's review: She doesn't speak yet, so it's hard to say for sure. Plus, she was a bit fussy tonight. But when I started reading it, she quieted down and played with the pages, smacking them and helping me turn them and then looking up at me when I was particularly dramatic. Towards the end, she started to whine and cry, but as I said, she was tired and fussy, so I wouldn't take that as a criticism of the book. Actually, I think she rather liked it until her hunger and exhaustion got the best of her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This classic children's story tells us the story of a Harry, a white dog with black spots who seems to like just about everything--except baths. To save him from his next bath, Harry steals the scrub brush and buries it in the backyard and runs away before anyone can get him in the tub. Harry starts playing outside with other dogs and near places like the railroad tracks. But when he slides down the coal slide, he becomes totally unrecognizable--he's a black dog with white spots now! When he returns home, Harry's family doesn't recognize them, even when doing his best tricks. Harry, being a very clever dog, knows the only way to get his family back is to get a bath. This story will appeal to young readers and will be a story their parents recognize as well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a staple of my own childhood. I love this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A dog decides to have an adventure around the neighborhood instead of getting bathed. He gets very dirty playing around the city and when he comes home his family doesn't recognize him. He decides he wants a bath so they will know it is him. I love this book for students or anyone with a dog because it is written from the dog's point of view which is humorous. Plus it is an easy read for young students.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I can actually remember selecting this book from the library as a child. Harry the Dirty Dog is a carefree character, getting into all sorts of mischief, while still remaining lovable. This book will bring a smile to anyone's face. Highly recommended.