Friday’s Vintage Find::Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack

I can’t take credit for finding this particular vintage find.  Marjorie Flack‘s Angus Lost is a Before Five in a Row selection, and since we’ve been working our way through that curriculum in preparation for Lulu’s kindergarten next year, it was next on our list. This little jewel of a book is worthy of the distinction of a Friday’s Vintage Find in its own right, though.  Marjorie Flack herself scarcely needs introducing; she is the author/illustrator who created such works as The Story about Ping, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, and Ask Mr. Bear, as well as other Angus books. Angus Lost is the story of Angus, a feisty little Scotty dog who longs for excitement outside his yard.  He gets it, too, when he escapes from his fence.  He meets several four-legged animals which give him more adventure than he bargained for, including a run-in with a “four-legged” automobile.  Angus learns his lesson, though, and in the end he finally makes it back to the security of his home.  What makes this book even more special are the illustrations.  Marjorie Flack’s illustrations are a mixture of black & white and color.  The illustrations in this book remind me of watching an old colorized movie–the colors are a little bit “off,” but in a nostalgic way.  For example, Lulu and Louise completed a lapbook for Angus Lost (more on this next week), and when they completed an activity in which they had to identify and color Angus the appropriate color (black), they both wanted to color him blue because of the colors in the book.  Flack also used silhouettes in a couple of the night time illustrations.  First copyrighted in 1932, this book features both automobiles and horse and carriages as modes of transportation, so it provides a little mini history lesson, as well.  Animal loving children would especially love this old-fashioned book.