Sometimes Love is under your Foot (Colin Thompson, Scholastic, $24.99 hb, ISBN 9781741690873, June) ****

This is the story of Kevin (the family dog) who adores Brian (the family dad). Unfortunately Brian barely registers Kevin’s existence and even occasionally steps on Kevin’s tail. But Kevin does not give up on Brian. He is particularly attentive during Brian’s extended illness. When Brian finally lets love in Kevin’s cup overflows. From then on their relationship flourishes and all seems well with the world. I was worried that there seemed to be a message that ‘real men’ don’t say ‘I love you’ out loud, but the story does at least show other ways of showing love. The rest of the family, whose story is told through the pictures, rather than the text, is a loving one. Other pictures reveal Kevin staring lovingly at Brian or curled up on Brian’s lap in front of the television. While the title and topic of this picture book may seem cutesy and twee, Colin Thompson’s thoughtful text and muted-tone illustrations manage to steer clear of such things. It is a touching tale of man and dog for the whole family to enjoy.

Jane Watson-Brown is a writer and reviewer

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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