Angus and the Ducks

Originally published in 1930, Angus and the Ducks is the first of several picture-books devoted to the doings of its eponymous canine hero, an energetic, curious Scottish terrier puppy, and is a sheer delight to read. The simple text follows Angus as he slips out one day – the door between INDOORS and OUTDOORS being accidentally left open – and sets out to investigate the odd quacking sounds coming from the other side of the green hedge surrounding his yard. His encounter with the ducks on the other side doesn’t go quite as expected – never get between a duck and its water trough – and Angus is routed by his anatine foes, and suitably chastened. For the time being, that is…