From a hot dog (Harry) to a hot-dog stand, HARRY BY THE SEA captures not only the fun but also the potential mishaps of a family outing to the seaside. Any child who has ever been lost in a crowd will identify with Harry's attempt to find his family amid the almost indistinguishable humans on the beach.

The text softens Harry's plight by giving the panic to the people, who think Harry is a scary sea monster, and by reassurances that his family has been searching for him, too.

A group of five-year-olds heard the story and later told it to each other in their own words. Although the complexities of the plot became blurred in the retelling, the kids found it very funny that seaweed-covered Harry (who actually looks more like a humble, hopeful mop) frightened all the people. The shaggy, empowered Harry seemed to resonate most, although they also liked the happy ending.

Humorous touches--both textual and visual--abound, such as the expressions and gestures of illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham's bathers and Harry's mistaking the hot-dog man's cry of "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" for "Harry! Harry! Harry!"

A big orange sun shines down in every one of Graham's illustrations, making the crowded beach setting cheery. Children love Graham's drawings (straight lines represent rays from the sun), but adults will also appreciate a certain satiric edge in her portrayal of humans' herdlike behavior.

The first title in the Harry series is Harry the Dirty Dog. Fans of funny dogs also enjoy the Clifford series, beginning with Clifford, the Big Red Dog and the Martha series, beginning with Martha Speaks.