Angus and the Cat

Originally published in the 1930s and recently reissued, Marjorie Flack's Angus and the Cat is a great story about a cute and curious scottie dog named Angus who is outwitted by a sly cat that comes to live in the house. The illustrations (nice color and crisp black & white) are wonderful, and the jaunty text will keep almost any child - toddler, preschooler, whatever - engaged. Don't think for a minute that the 1930s-era story might somehow be outdated, because it absolutely isn't. It's written in a timeless style with a unique sense of humor that both children and adults will find appealing. What's more, there are others we've read in the series that are equally good - Angus Lost, in which the insatiably curious scottie sneaks out of the house through an open door and has an unexpected adventure that has him later appreciating the true benefits of home, and Angus and the Ducks, in which he finally gets to find out what lurks on the other side of the massive hedge that borders his yard, only to find himself scurrying once again back to the safety and security of the little spot under the couch at home. All three have been reissued in inexpensive paperback editions with the original artwork, so you can't go wrong.