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 pushchairs.
Harry plays on the street with the men digging up the roads and got dirty, then played on the railway and got even dirtier. When he played with the other dogs he got even dirtier and when he slid down the coal chute, he got dirtiest of all (look at the comparatives).
Harry changed from "a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots".
At this stage, Harry wonders, and the wonder he wonders is whether his family will be missing him- a dog with a conscience. When I read this to Little
Miss the other day, she was adamant, that yes, his family WOULD be missing him because they loved him! So, I believe Harry has a conscience but then we learn that he is hungry and tired, and therein lies the real reason for his musings.
He runs back home and it's a very different Harry we see now. Instead of bouncing along the pavement, "smiling" at people, this time, he slinks along, looking longingly at the people eating in the restaurant.
Imagine his distress when he gets home, only to hear one of his people comment that there is a "strange dog in the back garden…". Harry tries to convince them that he is indeed their beloved dog- cue the tricks, which are excellent; I especially like it when Harry sings, because it reminds me of that rather famous dog who rose to fame because he could say "sausages". Poor Harry, nobody believes it is him, so he slinks off.
Bingo! He has an idea and runs to a tree where he frantically starts to dig. Remember the scrubbing brush at the start of the story? Well, that clever little dog has found it. He runs up the stairs and jumps into the bath.
What a lovely family. There is a strange dog in their bath and they decide to bath him.
Guess what happens…like in 101 dalmations when the snow washes off the soot ( comment made by my daughter), the dirt is washed off Harry, who had once again become a white dog with black spots.
Harry of course is delighted to be home again and after his food, curls up in his basket for a well earned sleep, and so tired was he that "he didn't even feel the scrubbing brush he'd hidden under his pillow"
Well, that's the plot given away!!
**THE ILLUSTRATIONS* * I love these illustrations because they are so simple and yet so effective. There are very few colours used- blak, shades of grey, yellow, green and a sort of beige colour. (I think that's all) The pictures themselves have been printed showing thick black lines which are then lightly filled in with the colours, such as they are. The use of illustration versus text has been carefully considered. When Harry is out and about on his wanderings, there are double page spread pictures with only a sentence of writing; presumably to show what a great time he is having. When he is doing his tricks, there is a series of smaller pictures, so that all of the tricks can be shown on one page; again, I presume, for maximum imact. Children like the expressions on Harry's face. It is really obvious to us how he is feeling, because he is shown either smiling or with his mouth turned down. Children can relate to these kind of pictures. Oh, and one more thing…is ACME written on any of the Disney things, because a child told me that the ACME COAL must be from the Disney shop!!
**PUBLISHER**
Bodley Head 1956
I have no idea if this has been printed by anyone else. Mine is a hard back copy but I would imagine that a brief foray onto some websites will bring up a copy or ten; I just can't imagine it being read very much.
**ISBN**
0-370-00696-8
**VERDICT**
I really do enjoy this book, and have read it to lots of Key Stage 1 children. The pictures are dated, and children do notice that there are very few colours and that the people are "wearing funny clothes". The backdrop to Harry's life is different to today, but when children comment on the strange train or the coal chute, this promotes discussion about life before they were born (and in the greater scheme of things not So long ago). There is so much to get out of the illustrations alone- for example, look out for the parasol on the roller and the people driving through the building site.
However, what they notice most is Harry. He is such an appealing little dog, and drawn exactly as children draw dogs- with a smiling face. It is worth reading for enjoyment if you have a copy, if only to see if there is any conversation comes out of it. One little boy thought we could "do" all about symmetry based on the front cover. It's incredible what children notice.
For a little bit of what is almost picture book history, I would recommend you read it. I always think there can't have been many picture books 50 years ago, so this was probably quite ground breaking. It is an enjoyable story and even though old fashioned, I haven't read it to any children who think it's boring.
Thanks for reading.
Daniela x
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Feb 1st, 2006
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