FIND THE CAT

This is actually the second copy of this book that I have come across. The first one was in respectable condition, so I felt obligated to sell it. This one, however, is decidedly shabby enough that I can add it to my collection without any guilt.

Find the Cat by Elaine Livermore is an early (1973), and in my opinion, a more artistically legitimate, take on the hidden picture phenomenon. Her illustration style makes me think of what Edward Gorey might have created had he suffered from palsy. I love the way Livermore plays fast and loose with perspective and pattern. On every page, the reader is encouraged, along with the dog in the story, to "find the cat". Despite the small size of the page, finding the cat is not as easy as you'd think.

The story begins as the cat and dog argue over possession of a large bone:



The dog wins, but once he takes a nap, the cat steals the bone and hides it away:



This sets the dog on a journey through the house to find the cat:



He looks:



and he looks:



and he looks some more:



By the time the dog finds the cat, he has become quite aggravated:



Once the cat escapes outside to the yard, the hunt is on once again:




Can you find the cat?:



At long last, the dog finds the cat and chases him through an open window into the house:



And is finally reunited with his beloved bone: