Zion, Gene. Harry the Dirty Dog. Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham. Harper, 1956.

Here’s another book that was first published in 1956, the year before I was born. And it’s remained in print all the years since then because it tells a classic story of a dog who doesn’t want a bath. (I remember some children who were much like Harry–bath-resistant.) Because Harry, a white dog with black spots, runs away when it’s bath time, he gets very dirty and turns into an unrecognizable black dog with white spots. And when his own family doesn’t recognize him, well, Harry begs for that bath that he so successfully avoided at the beginning of the story. I could read this story over and over and not get tired of it, which is why it’s one of the 520 books listed in Picture Book Preschool.

I have A Harry the Dirty Dog Treasury in my library with Harry the Dirty Dog and two more stories about Harry, No Roses for Harry and Harry by the Sea. In No Roses for Harry, Harry’s hated sweater from grandmother unravels, to his delight. And in Harry by the Sea, another Picture Book Preschool selection, Harry, covered in seaweed, is mistaken for a sea monster. Harry and the Lady Next Door is the fourth and last of the Harry books. All four Harry books, whether you read them in the treasury or individually, are warm and funny and just a delight that no preschooler should miss out on.

Illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham and author Gene Zion were a husband and wife team collaborating on the Harry books. And a fine team they were. Unfortunately, the couple divorced in 1968, and there were no more books about Harry, the dirty dog after that. Margaret Bloy Graham did, however write and illustrate at least one book of her own, Be Nice to Spiders, which is also a Picture Book Preschool selection in the week themed “Creepy Crawly Creatures.” Mr. Zion, on the other hand, quit writing after their 14-year long collaboration ended with the divorce.

I’m thankful they were together long enough to give us Harry, one of the great dogs of picture book literature. You can check out all of the Harry books by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham from Meriadoc Homeschool Library.