Max the mighty by Josey Hurley

Ill. by Katherine Appleby. Little Steps Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925545319
(Age: 4-6) Themes: Confidence, Fear, Dogs. When Max's parents go for a drive to their favourite place, Max is terrified. He does not want to leave the safety of his kennel, and tries vainly to hurl himself out of the back window of the car. But to no avail, they all still make it to the beach. Here his fear of his surroundings becomes obvious to the reader. A crab on the sand needs to be watched, the sea becomes a hurling savage monster ready to engulf him, and a segull flying overhead covers him with its shadow, instilling even more fear in the dog.
But he hears his dad calling to him, asking him to come closer, and gradually the dog puts its feet into the water, allowing the sand to move beneath his feet until the waves floats him up and he is swimming. Mum takes a picture of the two of them, swimming together in the shallows and it is this picture which finishes the book, and readers will empathise with the look on Max's face, he has achieved something he was scared about, but is still a little unsure. Plenty of things to talk about here.
A neat story about gaining confidence and learning to overcome fears, this book will find a place with readers who love reading about animals.
Fran Knight