One of my childhood favorites! A friend shared a link to Betty White reading it, which is a lovely way to revisit the book. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/7j0OY3236jw ( )

I first read this at my library job in 2001, and now got to share it with my child. He LOVES it. ( )

Harry the dog goes off on an adventure and comes back so dirty that his family doesn't recognize him! Cute book for early elementary. ( )

"Mailbox", K-1, June/July 2005
"Mailbox", Gr 1, Apr/May 2007
EDU 271

I love dogs so this is why I chose to watch this read aloud. The name of the book really fits his character traits. He is a very dirty dog. He ran away and got so filthy dirty his family didn't even realize it was harry when he came back. He hated baths so much, but he gave himself a bath so his family would notice it was him. He was back home and happy. The theme of the story I think was that you do what you have to do for the people you love even if it's not your favorite thing to do. ( )

This book was very sweet and simple, Harry is a dog who likes to get dirty and runs away from home. While he is out on his adventure he wonders if his family misses him, so he returns home, so dirty that he is unrecognizable. Finally, the family realizes it is their dog and they bathe him, Harry is happy and content at home with his family, although his adventure was rather fun. This book could teach young children a sense of home and that it is what is on the inside that counts. ( )

Harry was a white dog with black spots who loved everything besides getting a bath. One day when he heard the bathwater running, he hurried and grabbed the scrub brush, buried it in the backyard, and ran away. He played all around the neighborhood getting dirtier and dirtier. Harry got so dirty that he had turned into a black dog with white spots! When the day was coming to an end, Harry was hungry, tired, and missed his family so he headed back home where his family didn't recognize him! Harry started to do all of his old tricks, but still, the family wondered where Harry must have gone. Harry then dug up the scrub brush, ran inside the house, up the stairs, and into the bathtub with the scrub brush in his mouth. The children then began to give the dog a bath and realized it was Harry all along!

This was a sweet and silly read. You can probably use this book to teach younger children hygiene in some way or just to read a short and silly book. Younger children would definitely like this book because it's about a dog and also because of its silly nature. ( )

I had mixed feelings about this book. The first reason I liked this book was because of its plot. Because Harry needed a bath, he ran away to bury the brush and then he ran around town. The plot is quite humorous because he is avoiding his bath, but he continues to get dirtier and dirtier as he interacts with other dogs and dirty parts of the city. He eventually gets so dirty that his owners don’t even recognize him anymore. This is suspenseful, because the reader is unsure whether or not Harry will be accepted back at the house or if his owners will discover the truth. The second reason I enjoyed reading this book was because of the illustrations. The images had pops of color which is a great feature for the reader to stay interested in the images. Also, there were unique illustrations, such as when Harry was performing his tricks, the artist included multiple images of the dog on one page to show the progression of his movement. This makes the pages feel fuller and more lively. I also like how the illustrations demonstrate how different the dog looked before and after getting all dirty. The one reason I didn’t like this book was because of the point of view. While it did a great job showing the dog’s journey around town, getting dirty, I think it would be more meaningful for the readers to see what the family was doing at home while he was gone. Overall, the message of this book was that despite the dog’s appearance or what it had been through, it was still the same dog on the inside.

This story is very simple but an entertaining read. It is written in third person and tells a story about a family dog who runs away from home because he didn't want to take a bath. Harry, the dog, then walks around the town. The illustrations do a good job portraying the different parts of town. One aspect of this book that I found interesting is the very apparent color scheme. Most, if not all, the pictures are drawn using black, yellow, and green. This is such a unique trio of colors, that it makes the illustrations stand out. The language used in this story is very concise and clear. I think this book is trying to teach readers to not judge someone on their appearence. When Harry returns home, he is very dirty, so dirty that his family did not recognize him. Harry then tried to convince his owners it was him by doing different tricks. Finally they give him a bath and see that it was him all along. ( )

This was one of my favourite books as a kid and reading it again made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

It's about a little dog named Harry who gets so dirty his coat colour changes and his owners don't recognise him. My favourite and perhaps most beloved aspect is the illustration style -- it's super nostalgic and reminds me of old cartoons which probably adds to the nostalgia hit.

This book has all it needs to appeal to children. Dirt, a dog, and disobeying rules. What more do you need? ( )

This book is perfect for children in my opinion. If a child is refusing to take a bath, read this book. I love reading books that will connect with children because at the end of the story the children might change their mind and do what you need them to do.

This book is a fun read. No hidden messages or morals, just a dog who doesn't like baths. He runs off and gets so dirty, that when he comes back home, they mistake him for a completely different dog. I just thought this book was really cute.

I read this multiple times as a child and to my kids when they were too young to read. My youngest is now reading chapter books but brought this to me to read to her at bedtime as we snuggled and it brought back all the comforting feelings.

This is a timeless classic about a small dog who doesn't want to take a bath. He hides his scrub brush and goes for a walk. While he is out, he gets into as much dirt and dust as can be found. Upon his return home, his family has no idea that he is the same pup so he must try all that he can to show them who he is.

This is a good book for reading in your regular voice or with an Old American/British accent. The kids love the creativity and there are plenty of questions to be asked about each page to encourage active listening and participation in the story.

I will continue reading this book to little ones as long as they'll listen. ( )

This dog is so stubborn though he is, of course, adorable, and in his stubbornness teaches some valuable lessons to his intended readership. The stories are charming and the illustrations are wonderfully rendered in a style that I found appealing. I will definitely share this with my kids when the time comes. ( )