Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion (board book)

Uh-oh – the sound of the tap running means only one thing. It’s bathtime for Harry, the little white dog with black spots. And if there’s one thing Harry hates, it’s having a wash!

Harry decides to hide his brush and run away – but on his adventures playing by the railway and sliding down coal chutes he gets very grubby indeed, and begins to look like a black dog with white spots! How will his own family recognise him when he comes home?

Gene Zion’s hilarious classic is perfectly complemented by Margaret Bloy Graham’s unusual black, green and yellow colour scheme, filled with lovely details of Harry’s canine friends and chunky scribbles well suited to our mucky hero. The great lengths Harry goes to in order to avoid his dreaded wash will resonate with parents patiently trying to coax their own little explorers into having a bath.