Marjorie Flack, author of many classic picture books including Boats on the River, Ask Mr. Bear, William and His Kitten, and The Story About Ping, also wrote a series of four books about Angus, a small, inquisitive, and adventurous black Scottish terrier. The four books are: Angus Lost, Angus and the Ducks, Angus and the Cat, and Angus and Wag-Tail Bess. The first two of those are listed in my Picture Book Preschool guide, and I now own the first three Angus books. Angus and the Cat is NOT listed in Picture Book Preschool, but only because I hadn’t read it until now and I didn’t have room for any more Angus books in the curriculum guide.
Nevertheless, I can now say that Angus and the Cat is just as delightful as the other Angus books, and you should definitely add it to your list of books to read aloud with your preschooler. In this simple story, Angus, who is very curious about cats but has never actually met one up close, finds a new pet, a cat, lying on the sofa in his own home. Angus and the cat become adversaries as the cat boxes Angus’ ears and sits in his favorite patch of sunshine. Angus, of course, chases the cat. But then, something happens to turn enmity to at least mutual respect and toleration, maybe even a near-friendship.
The story is “told and pictured by Marjorie Flack.” The illustrations in the book alternate pages of black and white pen and ink with simple two or three color drawings, and Ms. Flack’s pictures are vivid and engaging. One of the illustrations shows the cat behind a wall where Angus can’t see him, but preschoolers who are listening to the book read aloud will be happy to point out where the cat is hiding.
The first three Angus books, and probably the one I haven’t seen yet, Angus and Wag-tail Bess, are all worth pursuing from the library or the bookstore (used or new) or online at Internet Archive. Fortunately, copies of all of the Angus books are not too difficult to find, which makes for a winning read aloud series for a new generation of preschoolers who love to read about curious little dogs and their adventures.
Picture Book Preschool is a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which consists of a list of picture books to read aloud for each week of the year and a character trait, a memory verse, and activities, all tied to the theme for the week. You can purchase a downloadable version (pdf file) of Picture Book Preschool by Sherry Early at Biblioguides.