Evie and Cookie

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Evie and Cookie

   Author:  Irmengarde Eberle
Copyright Date:  1957
Publisher:  Alfred A. Knopf
Pagination:  122 p.
Dedication:  for Donna,
Stephen, and Rustie
Strait

     When Cookie, the wonderful kangaroo, first came to live with Evie Dell and her family, the dogs and cats of the neighborhood couldn't make up their minds how to act toward her. They weren't exactly afraid of her, for she was gentle and mannerly. But she was so different from them that they didn't think they wanted to play with her. It was a funny idea.
     The dogs Evie and Cookie saw most often were Flossy, their friend Pete's beagle; Chip, Dick's mixed brown-and-white dog; and Ginger, a retriever belonging to some grown people down the block. They barked at Cookie wherever they met her. Sometimes they even came over to Cookie's little house in the Dells' yard to bark at her.
     There was a big gray cat living near-by too. He was Sally and Don Sears’ pet, and was called Orlon. They had named him that because he was as soft as the orlon sweather Sally got the same week they got the cat. Orlon didn’t make a noise at Cookie, the way the dogs did. Whenever he met her he arched his back, put his tail up with the hair standing straight out, and looked terrible.
     But then one morning Flossy, the beagle, came over, with Ginger and Chip trotting along just behind her. All three looked as if they had something very important to do. They went right up to Cookie and sniffed her. They bowed, sneezed, and scratched the ground with their hind legs. Then they stood behind Cookie with their tongues lolling out. All of a sudden, like that, they had decided to be friends with her. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A note from the author in the foreword
A good many people of several sizes and ages who read the first book about Evie and Cookie, called Evie and the Wonderful Kangaroo, have asked us some pleasant questions. They want to know mostly whether Evie and her kangaroo are real. Cookie, who has some ideas of her own about almost everything, wants to answer this herself. And Evie and I are glad to leave it to her. Cookie has dictated a letter and the Australian kindly put it down on paper for us and for you.
     I.E.

D E A R   G I R L S,   B O Y S,   G R O W N U P S,   A N D   A N I M A L S:
     Evie and I are a little surprised at everybody for asking if we’re real. My kangaroo answer is—why not?
     There seems to be just a little difference of opinion about this though. Out friend Irmengarde Eberle, who made us up in her mind, thinks of us as story book characters. She has a right to her opinion. But I must tell you this: I feel real, and I pinch myself every once in a while to make sure I stay that way. I’m glad this writer thought up Evie too, for she’s my best friend. And then there are the Australian and all the others too.... Happy days, and good jumping.
     Yours truly,

     C O O K I E   K A N G A R O O

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When Cookie, the wonderful kangaroo, first came to live with Evie Dell and her family, the dogs and cats of the neighborhood couldn't make up their minds how to act toward her. They weren't exactly afraid of her, for she was gentle and mannerly. But she was so different from them that they didn't think they wanted to play with her. It was a funny idea. The dogs Evie and Cookie saw most often were Flossy, their friend Pete's beagle; Chip, Dick's mixed brown-and-white dog; and Ginger, a retriever belonging to some grown people down the block. They barked at Cookie wherever they met her. Sometimes they even came over to Cookie's little house in the Dells' yard to bark at her. There was a big gray cat living near-by too. He was Sally and Don Sears’ pet, and was called Orlon. They had named him that because he was as soft as the orlon sweather Sally got the same week they got the cat. Orlon didn’t make a noise at Cookie, the way the dogs did. Whenever he met her he arched his back, put his tail up with the hair standing straight out, and looked terrible. But then one morning Flossy, the beagle, came over, with Ginger and Chip trotting along just behind her. All three looked as if they had something very important to do. They went right up to Cookie and sniffed her. They bowed, sneezed, and scratched the ground with their hind legs. Then they stood behind Cookie with their tongues lolling out. All of a sudden, like that, they had decided to be friends with her. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A note from the author in the foreword A good many people of several sizes and ages who read the first book about Evie and Cookie, called Evie and the Wonderful Kangaroo, have asked us some pleasant questions. They want to know mostly whether Evie and her kangaroo are real. Cookie, who has some ideas of her own about almost everything, wants to answer this herself. And Evie and I are glad to leave it to her. Cookie has dictated a letter and the Australian kindly put it down on paper for us and for you. I.E. D E A R G I R L S, B O Y S, G R O W N U P S, A N D A N I M A L S: Evie and I are a little surprised at everybody for asking if we’re real. My kangaroo answer is—why not? There seems to be just a little difference of opinion about this though. Out friend Irmengarde Eberle, who made us up in her mind, thinks of us as story book characters. She has a right to her opinion. But I must tell you this: I feel real, and I pinch myself every once in a while to make sure I stay that way. I’m glad this writer thought up Evie too, for she’s my best friend. And then there are the Australian and all the others too.... Happy days, and good jumping. Yours truly, C O O K I E K A N G A R O O