"Harry The Dirty Dog" Storybook Art Lesson

This is a fun art activity to go with "Harry The Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion, Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham.

 
I thought it would be fun for the kids to create a stand up version of Harry - they can play with him when they finish making him.  I'll read the story and then the students will make their own clean and messy Harry The Dirty Dog.

I began by creating a version of Harry that could be cut after folding an 8 1/2 X 11" piece of card stock and watercolor paper.  After folding the paper in half and tracing the outline of Harry with his back on the fold you'll cut everywhere around Harry except his back - which is the fold.  I have attached a pdf of the pattern:

My class is preschoolers so I will cut out the shape from card stock and watercolor paper for them.  Older students can use the pattern as a template for tracing.  

The internal features (eyes, mouth, spots, fur, legs, ears etc...) will be drawn freehand.

The card stock Harry is finished with a black and grey colored pencil.

The watercolor paper Harry is finished by first drawing the features with pencil, then going over everything except the spots with a Sharpie.  Next use a white crayon over all the white spots, draw kind of heavily with the crayon so it will resist the black watercolor paint.  Finally do a black

watercolor wash over Harry and let him dry.

Have more time?  How about making his sweater or his seaweed disguise from the other Harry stories? 

 Lots of fun!