Fearless

by Colin Thompson. Illustrated by Sarah Davis

ABC Books. Australian, Picture. Hardback rrp $24.99

Gentle and humorous with pictures you want to reach in and cuddle, this book is a winner.

Recently I read Fearless at a storytelling session to a group of children ranging from three to seven years old. It was hard to get a word in! Once I was past the first few pages, the children took charge – predicting the text from the story and illustrations, playing games matching names to pictures and setting the pace for our page turning.

Sometimes it’s hard to work out what name is just right – whether it’s for a person or a pet. Fearless is a puppy who is not brave at all. He’s scared of cars backfiring, black handbags, the broom and the stairs. But he’s loving and loyal. And one day he does live up to his name and protect his family. Accidentally of course but it’s a job proudly done.

From the front cover where Fearless peeks out from under the curtain to the back cover where his bottom is not quite hidden, this is a book filled with fun illustrations. My storytelling group particularly loved the page where a range of dogs and their names were shown. The names just didn’t seem to match up quite right. We were soon sorting that out.

I had three ‘read it again’ requests. If you intend to buy a picture book for a young friend or relative, Fearless is an excellent choice.

http://www.colinthompson.com/
http://www.sarahdavisillustration.com/