The Hope family has become terrified by a large black dog, and as each member of the family sees the dog outside, it seems to get bigger and bigger - first it's the size of a tiger, then it becomes an elephant, and then a tyrannosaurus rex. It is only Small, the youngest member of the family, who decides to confront the beast outside in the snow. It is, indeed, huge, but Small and the dog have a chase all round with Small singing: 'You can't follow where I go, unless you shrink, or don't you know?' And shrink he does. By the time they get home, the dog has become a normal size, and Small brings him into the house to become the family pet. Small Hope is commended by the family for her courage, but she says, 'There was nothing to be scared of, you know.' The story is unusual and the illustrations even more so, but they are what makes this book outstanding. We are in an old, untidy house with huge windows and an ancient bath with a geyser over it. The detail is amazing, the people long and rather spidery, all dressed in onesies. By the end of the story, with the fear conquered, the house becomes cosy and warm and we understand that fear can be conquered, even by the smallest person. Superb.