Harry the Dirty Dog - Gene Zion

This book was written 50 years ago! I remember having it read to me when I was very young and I still enjoy it, although I know there are “better” and more interesting books around. **THE PLOT** The story focuses, not surprisingly, around Harry, a little white dog with black spots “who liked everything, except…having a bath”. There he is, on the very first page, running down the stairs with the scrubbing brush in his mouth, ready to bury it in the black garden. He runs away from home, and we see him wandering past the fruit and veg shop with everyone looking at him-the shop keeper, the cats and the children in ...  Read the complete review

Eek. Did I tell you? Sixer, one of our kittens, fell in the bath. It was a very full, very bubbly bath and I was in it. He shot off, not like a scalded cat, because my bath wasn't that hot, thank heavens, but like a very wet, very unhappy cat indeed. Oh, poor Sixer, it wasn't his fault – he was lonely because Michael, Conor and Kieran were away in Devon and he'd been alone all day while I was at work. So naturally, he was following me all about the house. I dried him off though, and gave him a big cuddle, and all was well. Everything has a silver lining though, doesn't it, even a kitten falling in the bath, getting sopping wet and frightening ...  Read the complete review

Harry is a white dog with black spots who hates having a bath so much that he buries the scrubbing brush and runs away from home when he hears the bathtub filling. After spending the day having loads of fun and getting as dirty as he possibly can, Harry ends up a black dog with white spots and goes home to a family who doesn’t recognise him! Harry needs to come up with some ideas pretty quickly to convince his family that he’s really Harry – and when they don’t work he’s even desperate enough to beg for a bath! Although this book is fun for younger children as well, I find it has most appeal for children aged about 4 and up. ...  Read the complete review