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Harry the Dog
Harry by the Sea
A fun classic picture book featuring the beloved Harry the Dirty Dog! When Harry goes on a visit to the beach, he is mistaken for a sea creature when a big wave covers him with seaweed. Harry also has to hunt for his family beneath all the similar beach umbrellas. Children will relate to Harry's funny misadventures. This is an irresistible story featuring a classic picture book character, especially perfect for young dog lovers and fans of Harry the Dirty Dog . Harry the Dirty Dog has been recognized by the National Education Association as an all-time top-100 children's book. It has also been welcomed by a new generation at home, as Betty White's 2020 reading of the story on StorylineOnline has been viewed more than 8 million times. For more fun with Harry the Dirty Dog, don't miss No Roses for Harry! and Harry and the Lady Next Door.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
5 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Gene Zion
79 books65 followersBorn on October 5, in 1913, Gene Zion attended the New School of Social Research and the Pratt Institute. In 1948, he married artist Margaret Bloy Graham, who then collaborated with him on all his picture books. When their marriage ended in 1968, Zion also ended his career as an author. Zion is best known for his creation of the rascally dog, Harry, who appears in such books as HARRY THE DIRTY DOG and HARRY BY THE SEA. He died in 1975.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
April 29, 2020
Another wonderful Harry story. This time the family takes their little dog to the beach. Harry explores his surroundings and gets into trouble. This story brought back fond memories of taking our little dog to the beach for a picnic last year with my daughters friends, she got into so much mischief we said she was never coming to the beach with us again, but she said she was really sorry so did come again and managed not to be so disruptive the next time.
Beautiful illustrations and a lovely sense of humour. Definitely a book I would buy if I came across a copy.
Read on open library.
Beautiful illustrations and a lovely sense of humour. Definitely a book I would buy if I came across a copy.
Read on open library.
July 25, 2018
Another story with the adorable Harry and his day at the beach. Small adventures await everywhere.
December 10, 2016
Harry, the white dog with black spots, is back in another picture book. As this title implies, Harry and his family take a trip to the seashore. Covered in seaweed, Harry is mistaken for a sea monster. A fun read but not quite the caliber of the other Harry books by this author/illustrator duo.
March 14, 2017
First sentence: Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything about the seashore, except...the hot sun.
Premise/plot: Harry gets too hot at the beach, and, while looking for some shade, accidentally gets swept out to sea. The good news is he makes it back to shore. The bad news? He's covered in seaweed and EVERYONE mistakes him for a sea monster. Can this misunderstanding be cleared up before he's captured? Will he be reunited with his family?
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I'd read other books in the series. But we did not have Harry By the Sea in our home library. I had no idea this one existed until I spotted it at the library. (I might have squealed a bit.) It was a very fun book.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
Premise/plot: Harry gets too hot at the beach, and, while looking for some shade, accidentally gets swept out to sea. The good news is he makes it back to shore. The bad news? He's covered in seaweed and EVERYONE mistakes him for a sea monster. Can this misunderstanding be cleared up before he's captured? Will he be reunited with his family?
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I'd read other books in the series. But we did not have Harry By the Sea in our home library. I had no idea this one existed until I spotted it at the library. (I might have squealed a bit.) It was a very fun book.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
February 21, 2016
This is part of the Better World Books 2016 Reading Challenge. It fulfills the book published in the year I was born. It's a fun book that my children used to love reading. I still had it in my bookshelves from years ago.
A sweet dog goes with his family to the beach for a day and gets lost and covered in seaweed while hunting shade. The antics lead to being called "a bushy-backed sea slug", which I think is so funny.
It's a cute book for 1st and 2nd graders or younger.
*2016 BWB challenge- published the year of I was born 1956, under 200 pages*
A sweet dog goes with his family to the beach for a day and gets lost and covered in seaweed while hunting shade. The antics lead to being called "a bushy-backed sea slug", which I think is so funny.
It's a cute book for 1st and 2nd graders or younger.
*2016 BWB challenge- published the year of I was born 1956, under 200 pages*
September 21, 2017
A classic picture book featuring the beloved Harry the Dirty Dog!
When Harry goes on a visit to the beach, he is mistaken for a sea creature when a big wave covers him with seaweed. Harry also has to hunt for his family beneath all the similar beach umbrellas. Children will relate to Harry's funny misadventures.
This is an irresistible story featuring a classic picture book character, especially perfect for young dog lovers and fans of Harry the Dirty Dog.
For more fun with Harry the Dirty Dog, don't miss No Roses for Harry! and Harry and the Lady Next Door.
When Harry goes on a visit to the beach, he is mistaken for a sea creature when a big wave covers him with seaweed. Harry also has to hunt for his family beneath all the similar beach umbrellas. Children will relate to Harry's funny misadventures.
This is an irresistible story featuring a classic picture book character, especially perfect for young dog lovers and fans of Harry the Dirty Dog.
For more fun with Harry the Dirty Dog, don't miss No Roses for Harry! and Harry and the Lady Next Door.
August 12, 2018
The story teaches children about getting lost and what they should do if they are lost. The story tells the children that they should look out for the people they are lost and not get distracted like harry the dog.
I would recommend this story as a bed time reader because the adult can help the child to understand the importance of what they should do when they are lost. The main character Harry can be used an example for children on what they should not to when they are lost, the adult can sue Harry as the example and develop the child’s understanding.
I would recommend this story as a bed time reader because the adult can help the child to understand the importance of what they should do when they are lost. The main character Harry can be used an example for children on what they should not to when they are lost, the adult can sue Harry as the example and develop the child’s understanding.
November 6, 2019
Book Title: Harry by the Sea
Author/Illustrator: Gene Zion/ Margaret Bloy Graham
Reading Level: LG
Book Level: 2.2
Book Summary: Harry the dog is looking forward to spending time with his family at the beach. Little did Harry know that it would turn into a beach adventure.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits: Ideas traits is seen throughout this book through the strong details and descriptions used in the writing. To use this trait further in the classroom I would have the students pick a scene from the book and write down as many details describing that specific scene.
Author/Illustrator: Gene Zion/ Margaret Bloy Graham
Reading Level: LG
Book Level: 2.2
Book Summary: Harry the dog is looking forward to spending time with his family at the beach. Little did Harry know that it would turn into a beach adventure.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits: Ideas traits is seen throughout this book through the strong details and descriptions used in the writing. To use this trait further in the classroom I would have the students pick a scene from the book and write down as many details describing that specific scene.
April 29, 2022
I love this book so much. As an adult I learned that I have a facial recognition disability (prosopagnosia) and I recently realized that condition probably made this book so much more relatable than it otherwise might have been.
November 10, 2022
Poor Harry is just trying to cool off!
June 14, 2020
Copyright 1965. I bought this when I was very young with the Weekly Reader Book Club. Late 60s. Our school would have a list of books from Weekly Reader. I would take it home & try to talk my mom into buying books.
I adore Harry! Great story about the family taking Harry on a trip to the beach & his adventures trying to find a shady place to chill. My kids also enjoyed Harry & I have some other books about him.
This one is always a favorite.
I adore Harry! Great story about the family taking Harry on a trip to the beach & his adventures trying to find a shady place to chill. My kids also enjoyed Harry & I have some other books about him.
This one is always a favorite.
August 16, 2020
Harry visits the seashore with his family and finds himself in a (seaweedy) head of trouble. After seeking relief from the heat, Harry is covered with seaweed by a crashing wave. He chars quite a stir on the beach before finally finding his way back to his family. Very fun and charming story. There is one part that describes a woman as fat, which parents may want to avoid/choose different wording for.
December 16, 2020
Not as good as the original Harry by a longshot. It's basically like, Harry gets covered in seaweed and turns into some kind of a sea creature, and then is found by his family again. Ok enough but definitely feels like a sequel that was written because there was an audience not because there was much of a story to be told. My three year old seemed to enjoy it, but she was a HUGE fan of the first Harry book and this didn't match up.
April 13, 2014
This book was a childhood favorite and one my father read quite often at bedtime. I remember always feeling enormously worried about Harry losing his family, even after having read the story a dozen times. A subconscious awareness of hot dog salesmen as villainous mockers explains my conversion to vegetarianism at the age of 15.
August 20, 2021
I've often felt that the beach gets very hot and have longed for an umbrella like Harry's family's umbrella. This book is about all the adventures and misadventures that Harry has at the beach. At one point he looses his family. Thankfully by the end of the book they are reunited just like hot dogs and ketchup.
April 25, 2018
In typical Harry fashion, something or someone goes missing and must be found. It's a nice, subtle way to introduce children to the concept of loss and again, simple illustrations are extremely effective.
July 6, 2018
A cute beach read about a dog. Can’t ask for much more than that! I felt so bad for Harry in the beginning; I would have gladly made room for him under my umbrella. My heart always breaks a little when I hear someone tell a dog to “get lost”, but I love a happy ending.
March 15, 2020
I recently came across this old book. The pages were yellowed and worn, and the book smelled the way that old books do.
Still, it did not take from the story at all. Harry the dog's adventure by the sea is a timeless tale. So much fun.
Still, it did not take from the story at all. Harry the dog's adventure by the sea is a timeless tale. So much fun.
October 18, 2020
Simple, eye catching illustrations... my son loves Harry. And my hearing impaired child absolutely cracks up every time we read the "hot dogs, get your hot dogs" and Harry is jumping excitedly. I guess she identifies with him?
May 26, 2017
I love harry, he's a classic. The story is cute, though some might find one part offensive (when Harry tries to stay cool by walking behind a fat lady in her shadow).
May 6, 2018
Cute children’s story of mistaken identity
May 28, 2018
This is a cute story about Harry the dog who went to the beach with the family on a very hot day, and got mistaken as a sea monster when a huge wave washes over him. Enjoyable illustrations.
June 11, 2018
It's interesting to re-read books I read as a child. I found the copy from 1965 in a shop this weekend.
June 22, 2018
An oldie but goodie
January 18, 2019
Harry is adorable, and his adventures are laughable. We enjoy this classic tale.
January 29, 2019
A great story about the adventures of Harry the dog (or is that, seamonster?) with his family at the beach. An enduring classic that kids will laugh at and enjoy.
February 16, 2019
This story is dated and lacks multiracial representation, so it’s a bit hard to read to my wee ones in current day.
July 12, 2019
Great addition to a beach / summer storytime. Recommended for prek-2nd.
September 26, 2019
I like the old style illustrations--very well done. Funny short story about a dog and his family at the beach.
December 3, 2023
So FUNNY. Parents: check the beach scenes with swimsuits to see if you are comfortable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews