Angus and the Ducks, by Marjorie Flack (1930)

This is the very fun tale of Angus, the Scottish terrier, who is "curious about many places and many things":  "WHAT lived under the sofa and in dark corners",  "WHO was the little dog in the mirror", and about "Things-Outdoors" that he is unable to find out much about because of the leash that is "fastened at one end to the collar around his neck and at the other end to SOMEBODY ELSE".    Fortunately for Angus and his curious streak, he is able to sneak out one day and find out what is making that "Quack!  Quack!  Quackety!  Quack!" noise on the other side of the hedge.

The books has a charming turn of phrase and a smoothness that benefits from being read aloud. 

• Print Awareness :  It also has various words capitalized for emphasis, which can be pointed to for Print Awareness. 

• Vocabulary :  Scotland, sofa (versus couch), slippers, suspenders, hedge, flutter, watering trough, mulberry tree (and a perfect opportunity to work in a song!). 

   

• Print Motivation : have the kids flap, scramble, scurry, scamper, and crawl.

Natasha Forrester