Black Dog

Story

The Hope family live in a tall house on the edge of a forest. One day, a huge black dog appears at the window. As each family member sees him, he grows bigger and fiercer and the family get more and more frightened. But then Small, the youngest, decides to go out and face the dog herself, and discovers he is not quite what they all thought.

Why we chose it

A picture book about facing fears with beautiful, atmospheric illustrations.

Where it came from

Levi Pinfold was born in the Forest of Dean, and from a young age he liked to draw and write. He loves the work of Maurice Sendak, Alan Lee, and Dave McKean, and they inspired him to study illustration. His first book, The Django, won a Book Trust Early Years award. Among his inspirations for Black Dog, he cites a thin house he saw in Bath, his sister’s dog, getting lost on a snowy day and the colours of Liquorice Allsorts.

Where it went next

In 2013, Black Dog won the Kate Greenaway, the Boston Globe-Horn Picture Book Honour award, and the children’s book award in the AOI Awards. It is often used as a teaching tool to approach the subject of fear and how to face and deal with it.

Associated stories

Since Black Dog Levi Pinfold has written and illustrated Greenling (2015), and illustrated for other authors, including A.F Harrold (The Song from Somewhere Else, 2015). He illustrated the Houses covers for the 20th anniversary editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and contributed to the 2016 illustrated addition of Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin, 1996).