Angus and the Cat

Angus the Scottish terrier - whose encounter with some territorial anatine rivals is chronicled in the hilarious Angus and the Ducks - returns in this second delightful adventure, just as enthusiastically curious as ever. The object of his interest this time around is the new resident of his home: a feline interloper who likes to sleep on Angus' couch, tries to steal Angus' food, and proceeds to sleep in Angus' patch of sunshine. The little dog's efforts to defend his territory inevitably result in his enemy retreating to spots too high for the little dog to reach, until, after a particularly memorable chase, it appears that the cat has been routed. Angus has won! Or has he? Most importantly, does he really want to...?

These vintage show more picture-books about Angus, original published in the early 1930s, have a jovial quality to them that is very pleasing! The stories themselves are engaging, the typographical decisions - the use of capitalization for emphasis, the layout of the text, in order to coordinate with the images - are astute, and the artwork is adorable. Angus and the Cat continues the process whereby its eager young canine hero learns more about the world, and how to interact with it, and can be read either as a simple animal story, or as a tale with significance for children who have mixed feelings about a new sibling. Recommended to all young dog lovers, and to fans of the impetuous Angus. show less

Recommended by Deborah Freedman (note pacing and page turns)

"Each day as Angus grew older he grew longer but not much higher. Scottie dogs grow that way."

Angus learns many things - about frogs and ponds, and balloons, and furniture and food - but he is most curious about the cat. Angus chases the cat, but when she's gone, he misses her, and when she returns, they both know he is glad.

See also: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

47 months - O is a big Angus fan. She thinks these simple stories are so funny. Love the old style illustrations too.

49 month - picked up a copy at the store

Angus and the cat don't seem to like each other, until the cat disappears and returns