Valerie: Australia’s Bravest Sausage Dog

PUBLISHED BY ALLEN AND UNWIN, FEBRUARY 2026

Inspired by the amazing true story of the tiny dog who captured the heart of a nation

I had so much fun writing and illustrating this book about the darling Valerie, and imagining what she may have got up to in the time she was missing and ‘on the lam’ on Kangaroo Island.

“In this gloriously warm-hearted romp of a picture book, bestselling author and illustrator Lucinda Gifford has imagined Valerie's adventures and brought them to vivid and hilarious life, as she befriends dolphins, eats her fill, and explores the wilds... before finding her way safely home again..”

Out soon!