Robyn Belton (author/illustrator)

Walker Books: Australian release March 2010

ISBN: 9781921529306

Genres: animals, biography, picture book

Issues: loyalty

Tim's border terrier, Herbert, sets off on a sea journey with Tim's father. They go through the Marlborough Sound in New Zealand, a dangerous stretch of water surrounded by large rocks. Wild weather sets in and Herbert falls overboard.

Unable to turn back because of the tide, Tim's father has to tell his son that Herbert may not have survived.  Determined to search anyway, Tim and his father find a fisherman who knows the waters well. Is it possible for such a small dog to have survived such turbulent waters?

First published in NZ in 2008, this heart-warming story has been picked up by a larger publisher and given the audience it deserves. Belton keeps the text almost stark, with carefully shaped but unadorned statements about what happened, allowing the pathos of the dog's terrifying adventure and Tim's distress to speak for  themselves. Delicate charcoal and watercolour illustrations capture the intensity of the experience and the lively, energetic character of the dog, Herbert. The endpapers contain maps, letters and newspaper clippings to take the reader beyond Belton's retelling and into the way Herbert's story affected so many.

A delightful book, full of hope and love, Herbert the Brave Sea Dog tells the story of a not-so-small miracle that moved the hearts of many at the time.