Black Dog Paperback – 1 Aug. 2012

This book was a fantastic story for my Y5 class, soon to become my Y6 class. We read the story and discussed the metaphor of the dog, representing fear. We then listed all the fears the children had about moving up to Y6. We used Pie Corbett's 'talk for writing techniques' the learn the language patterns of the story before the children worked in groups to write their own version. It resulted in an amusing tale of the giant orange chicken outside the school. The children performed their version to the rest of the school and parents during a SEAL assembly.Thoroughly recommend this book for all ages. It's fun and provides a useful starting point to talk about issues, notably fears, the children are facing. Could be used in a range of contexts. The illustrations are also superb and could be used for a range of activities.

This came as an Amazon recommendation and being able to view it online helped me quickly make the decision to buy it for my grand-daughter for Christmas because it has all the ingredients of being a 'special' book (and a snowy cover). The style and detail of the drawings is superb which make it one of those books that you can return to time and again (like Anthony Brown's 'Gorrilla') because you begin to notice more and more quirky little things in the exquisite illustrations. A good intelligent story too. The drawing of the dog is just wonderful, so if you know a little person who has a soft spot for big dogs or you own a black dog yourself then buy this lovely children's book, you won't be disappointed.

Love reading this with both my 7 year old and my 4 year old.Have seen it used in schools but we don’t in ours. Lovely pictures and a good hidden message about possible fear of the unknown/terrorism/rumours etc. that could lead to discussions about what the children are scared of, that sometimes you have to face your fears or they won’t go away etc.

I was super excited to have this book arrive. I'd read a little review, again from a blog that I follow and just thought, I have to have this.Some people think that picture books are just sweet little reads for their children, but don't forget it's for the adult as much as it is for the child. And it's even better if there's a theme or moral running beneath the story, which this does. The youngest of the Hope family turns out to be the bravest, facing a fear that none of her family wanted to do. The story gains memento through the repetition and the language, especially read aloud, it is captivating.And the illustrations. Well, they are something different. They're magical, unlike other picture books. They're hauntingly beautiful and the more you study them, the more you discover.It's really not to be missed.

wonderful book, pictures are beautiful

The author wrote and illustrated this ingenious book portraying the ideal of fear from various perspectives. This charming tale of a young family literally rocked by the appearance of a black dog on their property, is sure to grip young and old readers alike from the first page. The simplicity and cookiness of the tale combined with the quite literally stunning illustrations make this book and absolute must buy. I will definitely be looking out for any books written or illustrated by Levi Pinfold.

My 8 year old asked if he could have this at home as they’re reading it in their English lesson at school. He’s now understanding the story better and reading it to his dad at bedtime, a good buy

Beautifully illustrated, a delight to roam around the details of each scene and a really nice story too - I don't want to give a lame summary but it was a very pleasing metaphor for how your fears can distort reality but how this can be overcome by facing them. It's not scary, it's sweet and has a positive "moral", if you will, without reading like a moral tale. Hmm. I hope this makes sense, it's a lot better written than this review!