Rosie knows, ghost-written by Pauline (‘Polly’) Rubin, is the first in a planned series of books on issues facing primary school-aged kids, all from a dog’s perspective.

That dog is, of course, the very special Rosie Rubin, well-known around the traps from her visits to local schools. Rosie’s a sensitive three-year-old rescue dog with a sad history of neglect and poor treatment, making her cautious about trusting people. Mrs Rubin said this gives her some parallels with the cases the two tackle.

“She’s the best counselor in the world,” Mrs Rubin said.

“She has two ears to listen and a mouth that says nothing.”

The target readership is six to 13-year-olds. Mrs Rubin, a child therapist, said these childhood issues often go unspoken and can manifest themselves in physical behaviours.

But Mrs Rubin’s aim is to make potential solutions fun, not prescriptive.

She has been asked how Ruby manages to hold a pen, before explaining that she’s the pen behind the paws.

The book is now available online at at Sullivan’s Newsagency and available for loan through Tenterfield Library. Mrs Rubin has been pleasantly-surprised by its popularity, particularly the digital version through Amazon where orders have come from as far afield as India.

There are plans afoot for an audio version of the book, in order to reach the visually-impaired. The second book in the series, Rosie knows more, will be out at the end of this month with What Rosie knows arriving in February.

The content has an ongoing theme of self acceptance with a mindfulness approach to life. The series results from many visits to regional schools in Australia where Rosie’s observations in newsletter form stimulated positive conversation and comment from students and adults alike.

Here’s a reading from the first book…