Published in 1965, HARRY by the Sea Is one of the books I used in my classroom for nearly the whole of my classroom career.

Harry, a black and white dog, likes everything about the beach with one exception.    

He does NOT like the hot sun.    

One day he tried to get under the family’s beach umbrella; it was just too crowded, and he had to leave.  He scuttled into the kid’s sand castle; the walls fell in, and the children made him leave.    

He sauntered in the shadow made by a plump lady; she got infuriated and made him stop following her.   

And so it went, until a large wave came rolling right on top of him.   

When the wave trundled back Harry was left floating in the water; he no longer appeared to be a dog.   He appeared to be a sea monster!

Enclosed with seaweed Harry seemed to be something from the nethermost of the sea.  And, that is when his troubles REALLY began.  

The durable adoration children have for Harry has been proven in my classroom for nearly four decades.  My original classes of first graders loved Harry, children today love him still. 

Harry an outgoing black and white dog gets into many a calamity.  Children relish comicality, HARRY by the Sea provides just that.  The book is intended to be read to little folk, and just plain appreciated for the entertainment, the wit and the humor of the tale.  

As with others in the ‘Harry’ series the solitary character with a name is Harry.   

The other characters are family, children, people who are in the area and the like, however none is named.  

Use of text per page is intended to hook the kids into listening as well as to move the account along.  Adequate detail is added to compliment the illustrations offered on each page.  My final class of first graders enjoyed the ‘old time’ look of the graphics found in a book I have used from my early days of teaching to my last.   

My particular Classroom copy, a Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club edition – Primary Division, is a WELL MADE, hard back publication.  It has to be well made to stand up to thirty plus years of use by numerous little six and seven year olds.  

HARRY by the Sea is a thirty-two page book accessible today as hardback and paperback.  It can often be found in jumble shops, on shelves in children’s bedrooms, as an offering in the ‘book club’ subscription pages children bring home from school, book fairs and at Amazon online.

Discussion starters might include discussion of the sea shore, and river beach, addressing the importance for having available shade in direct sunlight, not jumping to conclusions and how best to have a good time at the beach. 

HARRY by the Sea is an lasting children’s favorite.  It is dandy for the primary level classroom, for DEAR – Drop Eveything And Read- ‘quiet time reading’ period, for children’s private pleasure reading shelf, as well as for home, school and public library catalogues.   

I had several paperback copies available in our book bags for classroom use and for taking home for evening reading.

Happy to recommend.  Harry was frequently chosen by the children in my classroom for their ‘free time’ reading in the classroom, or as their pick of the day when they are leader and for taking home to read to family and neighbors.  5  stars 

-------------------------------------------------

 Reviewed by:MOLLY’S REVIEWS   molly martin    

 -------------------------------------------------

  35+ years classroom teacher