Now I have two little girls of my own I'm really enjoying revisiting books I remember reading as a child.
I started reading bits of Winnie the Pooh to them when they were babies on the premise that it's never too young to start. Then we moved on to Beatrix Potter's lovely tales, particularly Peter Rabbit.
One book I really remember my mum reading to me is 'Harry the Dirty Dog' by Gene Zion. This is the charming tale of a 'white dog with black spots' who runs off to play rather than have a bath. When he returns he is so dirty that he has turned into a 'black dog with white spots' and the family don't recognise him. But he convinces them to give him a bath and, as they wash off the dirt, they realise: "It's Harry! It's Harry! It's Harry."
I remember being so thrilled by the "It's Harry!" bit. We all used to chorus it together, delightedly. I have just read it to my girls this evening and they are the same. I wonder, if they ever have any children, if they will remember 'Harry' or will it be 'The Gruffalo' or 'Hairy Mclary' that they read with fond memories.
When we were older and had moved on to 'The Famous Five', 'The Secret Seven' and 'Swallows and Amazons' Mum posted our original copy of 'Harry' to my many cousins in Melbourne and Perth, Australia. It was passed around that generation of the Australian family. They are now on gap years and the last time one of them was visiting she was happy to report that the book is still going strong with a new generation of tinies chanting: "It's Harry! It's Harry! It's Harry!"
