Children's Book Filter - What was this book?

May 27, 2008 3:25 PM

Children's Book Filter: Help me find a book from when I was a kid. Of course, only limited details remembered...

I'm looking to find the title of a children's book that was given to my when I was a child by my aunt. I don't know the age of the book, but I'm in my late 20s, so maybe that helps date it.

Here's what I remember:

The book was about or involved a black dog who, at the beginning of the book, either ran out of or away from the house. It was a softback book (at least the one that I had was) and the most striking thing to me was the illustration style...

I think it looked as if it had been screen printed - only a couple of colors were used. I remember black being a predominate color, with reds or oranges being secondary. Very block-colored illustrations with limited shading.

Ring any bells with anyone?

posted by finitejest to media & arts (9 comments total)

hey, I can't spell. The book was of course given to me, not my.
posted by finitejest at 3:26 PM on May 27

Hmm. I remember having books about a Scottie dog named Angus, but the illustration style doesn't sound like it matches...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:36 PM on May 27

hah -- found a link to one of the Angus books, does this look familiar?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:38 PM on May 27

Do you remember if the dog died at the end? Was he owned by an old lady who also had a cat?
posted by sunshinesky at 3:56 PM on May 27

This sounds like the way colour was used in children's books written before full-colour on every page became practical (e.g. the fifties and earlier)
posted by winston at 4:27 PM on May 27

Could it be Harry?
posted by dizzycow at 4:34 PM on May 27

Is it Whistle for Willie? There's a black dog, and lots of red, and it was published in 1964.
posted by supramarginal at 5:42 PM on May 27

Harry was exactly what I thought, too.
posted by peep at 7:04 PM on May 27

Harry started out as white with black spots.

Beverly Cleary's Ribsy--despite the current cover--was originally illustrated in black and white. Apparently Louis Darling's drawings have been scrapped. :-(
posted by brujita at 10:54 PM on May 27