Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, illus. by Bloy Graham. HarperCollins, 1956.

Such a sweet story!

Harry the dog doesn’t like baths so he runs off and gets dirtier and dirtier until he’s no longer a white dog with black spots, but a black dog with white spots. His own family doesn’t even recognize him until he races inside, up the stairs and jumps into, of all places, the bathtub.

The text is simple, the illustrations childlike and happy and the twist at the end—Harry has his scrub brush hidden again—gives a smile. Children will see themselves in Harry and will enjoy his escapades while finding comfort in his finally coming home.