Celebrate the Author: Gene Zion

Recognize this guy?

He’s a white dog with black spots who likes everything except getting a bath. So begins the adventure of Gene Zion’s Harry the Dirty Dog(1956), one of the handful of stories I and my daughters can recite by heart from beginning to end. We’ve enjoyed all the Harry stories — at the beach, with the lady next door, in his despised rose-adorned sweater — partly because Harry is such a happy-go-lucky, existential hero, and partly because the stories have an odd way of building suspense. Harry can’t talk, and his owners — two children — always seem so slow to catch on to what Harry’s trying to tell them! One commentary reflects that the Harry stories “are noted for their child’s eye view of the world, where things that are important to the very young are depicted.” Another notes that Harry is “a timeless personality inviting warmth, involvement and understanding.”

The whimsical illustrations are by Margaret Bloy Graham, who was Zion’s wife for 20 years before the couple divorced 7 years before Zion’s death in 1975. Details about the Gene Zion Collection are available here, where the scope of Zion’s achievements beyond the Harry stories quickly becomes apparent.

I enjoyed learning a bit more about Gene Zion for the October Celebrate the Author Challenge. Other participants have posted their reviews here. Happy birthday, Gene Zion, and thank you for the hours of pleasure you’ve given to my family, and the many extra pats on the head you’ve inspired for our own canine companion.