Widget

Widget

by Lyn Rossiter McFarland
Illustration by Jim McFarland

When Widget, a little stray dog, stumbles through a flap door into the home of Mrs. Diggs, he sees six cats, six bowls of food, and six warm beds. There's clearly only one thing to do. Confronted by the cats' intense scrutiny, Widget meows, purrs, plays with a toy mouse, and uses the litter box. Having eventually convinced his new family of his felinity, Widget is soon living so happily he sometimes forgets his true nature. But when Mrs. Diggs takes a fall and doesn't get up, it's up to Widget to save the day with a particularly canine solution.
A very simple text and droll pictures make Widget a book to read again and again.

This sweet story about a lovable stray dog that pretends to be a cat in order to be accepted into a house of six felines is perfect for preschool children. Not only will the kids think the dog is adorable but they will also find the interactions between the canine and the cats to be hilarious. The text is simple with a repetitiveness that makes it easy for young children to follow along. With a not-too-short, not-too-long length, this book makes it easy for three-year-olds to take a five-minute break from their busy day of playing to fall in love with this sweet, white dog.

With kids just starting to enter preschool, this is wonderful book for introducing them to the topics of making friends and fitting in. It teaches kids that while it's okay to find common interests in order to form a friendship, it's also important to not forget who you are.

I read this story to Emily, a three-year-old that I babysit, who not only loves cats but has a dog that looks like Widget. That gave her an automatic attraction to the story but it was the humor of a dog acting like a cat that kept drawing her back for more. She watched in amusement as Widget tried to win over the cats by acting like a cat and then noted, "all happy at end!" when the cats decided to accept Widget for who he truly was: a dog!

--Abby