Sad, the Dog

What does a dog need to feel loved and cared for?

Mr and Mrs Cripps feed their dog, wash him, and even clean inside his ears. But they don’t give him a name. So the dog names himself – SAD.
What will it take to make SAD, the dog, happy?

“The watercolor illustrations nicely capture the expressions of the characters in the story-from Sad's dejection to the Crippses' squinty-eyed crabbiness to Jack's delight at meeting his new friend.”

A true testament to never giving up hope… Tull Suwannakit's earth-toned illustrations and use of space add to this beautiful story told by Sandy Fussell. -- Creative Kids Tales Creative Kids Tales
The watercolor illustrations nicely capture the expressions of the characters in the story—from Sad’s dejection to the Crippses’ squinty-eyed crabbiness to Jack’s delight at meeting his new friend. -- Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews
A beautifully illustrated book about a boy and an unwanted dog, who become firm friends. -- Deborah Abela ABC Radio Central West NSW
Sad, the Dog is a lovely story that invites children to talk about belonging and how we can ensure that our pets (and family, and friends) feel loved and included. -- Kids' Book Review Kids' Book Review
Sad, the Dog is a children’s picture book that stays with us long after we’ve read it. -- The Book Chook The Book Chook
The story is told in clear, simple words that are wonderful for reading aloud, especially by a parent to a child; the watercolour illustrations perfectly match the tone of the story. -- Writing for Children Writing for Children
I love this intimation and heart-warming message that permeates throughout this picture book, and is captured so beautifully by Suwannakit’s glorious watercolour illustrations. Highly recommended. -- Boomerang Books Boomerang Books
Paired with illustrator Tull Suwannakit, ‘Sad, the Dog’ is a multi-layered text of great beauty and gentle wisdom. -- Children's Books Daily Children's Books Daily
This hard back edition, by the award winning Australian children’s author Sandy Fussell, will be a story that is treasured by many children, whether it read by individuals or shared. -- Bookrapt Bookrapt
This is a gem of a book for children of 3-8 years. -- Janet Croft 103.1FM Grafton
The beautiful, realistic illustrations capture the emotion and complement the thought provoking text. -- Otago Daily Times Otago Daily Times
This is a treat simply as a great story well told and illustrated, but a boon for teachers and parents wanting to discuss the care of a pet. Highly recommended. -- ReadPlus ReadPlus
Sad, the dog is a wonderful story to share with children and reinforce the responsibilities of being a pet owner. It will be a great book to read with your children as well as a good book for the classroom. -- ReadPlus ReadPlus
The little dog felt unhappy. And in his heart, he whispered a name. Sad.’’ By this point the reader feels the same — but kindness and hope are on the horizon. -- The Australian The Australian
Best children's books of 2015 -- Sydney Morning Herald Sydney Morning Herald
Paired with absolutely perfect illustrations, this is a gorgeous book for kids and grown-ups alike, and delivers an important message with regards to animals as gifts, just in time for Christmas. 100% Rock Magazine
Expressive watercolour pictures capture the mood of the story. -- Pinerolo Pinerolo
Sad, the Dog is a lovely story, sensitively told, beautifully illustrated about a dog and his family, and the power of love. -- Aussie Reviews Aussie Reviews
Paired with absolutely perfect illustrations, this is a gorgeous book for kids and grown-ups alike, and delivers an important message with regards to animals as gifts, just in time for Christmas. 100% Rock Magazine
A lovely, warm and reassuring story just to share with early childhood readers. Magpies Magazine

Sandy Fussell lives on the NSW South Coast with her husband and two sons. She studied mathematics at university, is intensely interested in history, and now works in IT. She is afraid of bears, volcanoes and samurai swords and has written a book about each one of them. Her series Samurai Kids has been hugely successful: Book 1, White Crane, won an IBBY 2011 Outstanding Book for Children with Disabilities and has been listed for awards in the US, UK, Japan and China. Book 3, Shaolin Tiger, and Book 5, Fire Lizard, were Notable Books in the Younger Readers Category in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. Shaolin Tiger was also short-listed in the Speech Pathology Awards – Upper Primary Category, 2010. Polar Boy, Sandy’s first stand-alone novel, was short-listed in 2009 for the CBCA Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers, and her second stand-alone novel, Jaguar Warrior, was a CBCA Notable in 2011. For further information please visit her website:

Tull Suwannakit is originally from Thailand and now lives in Australia. He received a BFA in animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004, and has worked as an animation studio sculptor and set designer in New York. He has been writing and illustrating children’s picture books since 2006 in Thailand, but What Happens Next? is his first book with an Australian publisher. Tull completed his Masters in Fine Art from RMIT in 2011 and has been exhibiting extensively in galleries in Melbourne. When he is not doing his art, Tull teaches young children at a preschool.

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