Harry on the Rocks - Hardcover

Meddaugh, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618276033 ISBN 13: 9780618276035

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2003

Synopsis

An afternoon boating excursion goes terribly awry when Harry drops his oars and the tide takes him and his little yellow boat out to sea. A storm washes him ashore on an island with nothing but sand and rocks and one windblown tree. Hungry, Harry hopes to eat an egg he finds amid the rocks, but after warming in the sun, the egg doesn’t cook—it hatches! So instead of dinner, Harry finds a friend. But just what is the little, quickly growing, colorful, winged, lizardlike creature? Harry’s in for more than one surprise as he discovers the true nature of the bizzard’s identity and the friendship they share.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-Another delightful fantasy from the author/illustrator of the popular "Martha" books. Harry, a friendly looking brown dog clad in jeans and an orange striped shirt, is swept out to sea and shipwrecked on a rocky island. One of the rocks looks different, though. It's an egg, which hatches a baby lizard. No, wait, make that a "bizzard" (when it sprouts wings like a bird). No, wait, he can actually cook the fish he's caught by breathing fire on it. Could he be a dragon? Yes, indeed, and when Harry realizes who he's sharing his island with, he hides in fear and sends the creature away. Soon, second thoughts creep in: "Except for the fact that he was probably going to eat me, that dragon was good company." Meddaugh, who is a master at creating satisfying endings, doesn't disappoint here, offering a rousing conclusion with a sweet little twist. Her economical writing has a natural flow, and the simple pictures expertly convey the comedy, drama, and emotion of this great little story.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. Harry, out at sea when a storm blows up, is stranded on a small, rocky island with nothing but one scraggly tree--and a rather large egg. Harry hopes that the egg will become hardboiled in the sun, but instead it hatches into a lizard. The lizard grows wings, and then it begins breathing fire. Harry has grown fond of his friend, but when he realizes the creature he's named Bizzard (a combination of buzzard and lizard) is a dragon, he hides until Bizzard leaves. Eventually Harry realizes how much he misses his friend: "Except for the fact that he was probably going to eat me, that dragon was good company." Another storm blows up, and Harry is sure he's a goner--until Bizzard returns to fly him home. After all, he thinks Harry's his mom. The ending is somewhat abrupt, but Meddaugh's sterling sense of humor, which shone in such books as Martha Speaks (1992), is certainly evident in both the amusing text and the art. Hapless Harry (a dog in man's clothing) is a fully developed character, and the Bizzard, silent except for the word "Mom" and as much puppy as dragon, shows actions can be funnier than words. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0618276033
• ISBN 13: 9780618276035
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32