Alfie the kind by Richard Harris and Simon Howe

A charming tale of the position a pet holds within the family, Alfie the kind is a wonderful character, one that kids will admire and love as they read of his plight. He loves his family, joining Millie in her bed when it is cold, lying on the floor and rolling around to scratch his back, leaning out of the car window when they go on drives.  When they get to the park, he loves chasing the squawking galahs, but when the magpies appear, he slinks away pretending that he has not seen them. He feels he is not brave. There are things at home he avoids as well: the vacuum, the wheelbarrow and the pool cause him to feel afraid.  But one day when the lawn is being mowed, he notices a snake in the grass and barks at it alerting his dad to the danger, as well as making the snake go away. But still he does not feel brave. Readers by now will be identifying with the dog, knowing how he feels but encouraging him to feel better about himself.

And his next adventure does just that. The family is not worried that he feels less than brave. They all have fun with their lovely dog, and when Uncle Benny visits with his bouncy dog, Freddo. All goes well. The next day is Sunday and the family goes for a walk in the park.  There were other families in the park, and Alfie noticed that one little boy had moved further away for his family and was crying. Alfie wanted to help, but it meant crossing the lake to get to the lad. He plunged in despite his fear of the water, and got himself over to the boy. The boy’s father thanked the family and said that Alfie must be a very kind dog.

At dinner that night, they all agreed that while Alfie may not be the bravest or the most clever of dogs, he is kind. And that is the best trait to have.

Simon Howe’s iilustrations show us a loving caring family, loving, caring for, playing with their dog Alfie. Love pervades each page as we see a family working together, the looks on their faces showing their closeness with each other and Alfie. I love the way Howe gets so many different feelings from the children and the dog, by showing different sized eyes or the placement of the eyebrows, or mouth, and especially Alfie’s tongue. The feeling of reaching out to pat Alfie’s head shows how realistic the animal has been drawn.

This lovely story is a longer read and kids will love sharing it with each other, as they envisage Alfie as their own dog, and work out what kindness looks like everyday.

Richard Harris OAM recently became Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.adding another accolade to his cave rescue in Thailand, his daytime job as an anaesthetist and children’s author.

Themes: Dogs, Family, Bravery, Kindness.

Fran Knight