Harry and the Guinea Pig

by Gene Zion, Margaret Bloy Graham (Illustrator)

Overview

The beloved character Harry the Dirty Dog returns in this brand-new picture book! A fun story to share with all dog fans, as well as guinea pig families and classrooms.

Harry, the mischievous little white dog with black spots, isn’t happy when the children are paying more attention to the neighbor’s guinea pig than him. But when Harry accidentally causes the guinea pig to get loose at school, he has to use his detective skills to save the day. Can Harry find the guinea pig before he’s sent to the doghouse?

Created in the style of Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham, this is an irresistible story featuring a classic picture book character—perfect for young dog lovers and fans of Harry the Dirty Dog!

Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham’s 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062747730
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	22,034
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Gene Zion and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Margaret Bloy Graham have collaborated on several favorite stories about Harry: Harry by the Sea, Harry the Dirty Dog, and No Roses for Harry.

Gene Zion and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Margaret Bloy Graham have collaborated on several favorite stories about Harry: Harry by the Sea, Harry the Dirty Dog, and No Roses for Harry.

Editorial Reviews

2020-09-29
A new adventure for the little white dog with black spots, rendered “in the styles” of the original series’ author and illustrator.

Opening as usual—“Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything…”—the tale finds Harry “not pleased” that a visiting guinea pig is “getting all the attention.” He regains his top-dog status after sneaking into school and (somehow) opening its cage during show-and-tell, then tracking it through the playground, past a shushing librarian, and into the cafeteria, where it is sitting on a table munching veggies. The children’s praise for this “clever detective work” settles Harry’s ruffled fur so he can happily get “back to his old tricks.” After this bland story, readers may well be happy to return to those old tricks as well. Aside from tinting the skin of Harry’s family slightly (they now have peach skin and rosy cheeks but still present White) and introducing some racial diversity to the school’s group scenes Joshaghani’s illustrations don’t add anything fresh or updated either. But this is meant, after all, to be a nostalgia trip. Starting with the cover picture, the figures, furnishings, dress, décor, and even the overall compositions echo Margaret Bloy Graham’s. At least this offers the comfort of familiarity…and the actual author and illustrator get title-page credits (albeit in much smaller type than Graham and Gene Zion). (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 77% of actual size.)

A lackluster effort to latch on to a stalwart classic. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews