The Inside Dog by PIP HARRY and illustrations by CAROLYN DAVIS is a charming book about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. We caught up with Pip to find out what inspired the story.
What sparked the idea for The Inside Dog?
I was talking to my sister Nicola on the phone and she mentioned her family was going on a farm holiday and taking their sweet city pup Rufus along. She was worried that Rufus was an ‘inside dog’ who might find it hard being outside with the working farm dogs. It gave me the idea to write The Inside Dog!
Do you have a special animal friend like Cuddles in your life?
I do! I have a 3-year-old black and tan kelpie called Puma who my family rescued from Dogs 4 Jobs – an organisation who rehome working dog breeds. We have a large backyard but Puma prefers to be inside and loves snuggly couches, tummy scratches, soft beds and piles of cushions, just like Cuddles!
Cuddles is faced with new challenges from sleeping outside, eating farm dog breakfast to facing alpacas – what do you hope readers can learn from Cuddles’ adventurous spirit?
I hope readers are inspired to be brave and try new things … even if those things are a bit scary and unfamiliar at first. Like Cuddles, they might meet new friends, discover hidden talents, and open a door to unexpected adventures!
The humans tell Cuddles ‘Give it a try, you might like it!’ – why do you think it’s important to try new things?
It’s easy to stay in our ‘comfort zone’ like Cuddles but life can be so much more thrilling and enjoyable when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new things. Be like Cuddles and have a go at something completely different!
Do you have a favourite scene in this book?
I love the last page when Cuddles has his ball thrower and leash in his mouth, ready to go to the dog park, when at the start of the story he would hide it from his family. It shows he’s really changed and is ready to leave the safety and security of his house and challenge himself with amazing outdoor adventures.
Describe this book in three words.
Adorable. Cuddly. Pawsome.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pip Harry is an Australian author, copywriter and journalist. Her young adult novels include I’ll Tell You Mine, Head of the River and Because of You. Her middle grade novel The Little Wave won the 2020 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. Pip’s second middle grade novel, Are You There, Buddha?, was a 2022 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book and was shortlisted for the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature. Pip’s next middle grade novel, August & Jones, was published by Hachette in 2022 and was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 2023 and the 2024 YABBA Awards, and won the CBCA Shadow Judging Book of the Year for Younger Readers. Pip is also the author of two picture books: Over or Under? and The Inside Dog.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Carolyn Davis is an accomplished Art Director with a distinguished career at top advertising agencies worldwide with over 60 international awards for her work. Her passion for painting and drawing has led to numerous commissions including an award-winning series of posters for the American Red Cross. She has also co-written and illustrated two self-published picture books, Winona and Don’t Die Trying. The Inside Dog, written by Pip Harry, marks her debut as a children’s book illustrator with Hachette. Originally from Australia, Carolyn now resides in her picture-book apartment in New York City with her partner, Matt, and their cat, Shadow.
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