Fearless by Colin Thompson
Ill. by Sarah Davis. ABC Books, 2009.
ISBN 9780
733320253
(Ages 3-7) This
delightful picture book will have kids, parents and
teachers laughing out loud as the antics of the new dog, Fearless take
hold of
them while reading this story. Thompson starts his story with vignettes
of
names not suiting the people who have them, and so we know that the
name
Fearless is a misnomer. Taken home from the Adopt a Pet store, Fearless
is
shown around the house in a variety of scenarios which belie the name
he has
been given.He jumps into his owner's
arms when a car backfires and does so himself. He growls at the
visitor's handbag
until the nasty thing is hidden from view. He cannot bear to do his
business
outside and loves to eat the biscuits from the baby. All the while he
is aware
that it is his job to protect his family.
One night when
a burglar calls, Fearless tries to greet
him with his smile, showing off all his teeth. He tells the burglar
that he is
not allowed on the table with his growls and grunts and when his father
comes
downstairs the burglar races off without saying goodbye. The difference
between
the reality and what Fearless thinks is happening is very funny and
instantly
recognisable to all readers.
The water
colour illustrations are superb, capturing the
difference between what is said and what it really happening. The dog
is
portrayed with heavenly expressions, meek and mild, pleading and
scared,
excited and happy. The pages on which the dog has made a mess in the
house are
beautifully done, the looks in the dog's face redolent with meaning and
I loved
the drawings of the dog wound around his owner's legs. But these are
only a
couple out of many drawn with humour, movement and panache. A charming
story full of wit, underlining the
family and its relationship with their pet, this will be a hit wherever
children are to be found.
A
small jarring point is the complete use of the 32 page format, putting
the
publication page and the last page of the story together. But this will
not
detract from the sheer enjoyment of the story and the illustrations.
Fran Knight