Old Tom, page 1
Leigh drew inspiration for Old Tom from his
1981 painting, part of which is reproduced
in monotone on the endpapers.
This anniversary edition first published by Allen & Unwin in 2019
First published by Penguin Group (Australia) 1994
First published by Allen & Unwin as part of The Big Book of Old Tom 2014
Copyright © Leigh Hobbs 1994
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.
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ISBN 978 1 76087 634 0
eISBN 978 1 76087 296 0
For teaching resources, explore www.allenandunwin.com/resources/for-teachers
Illustration technique: pen, ink and letratone
Original design of the 1994 Penguin Group (Australia) edition by Jo Hunt
Cover design by Sandra Nobes and Leigh Hobbs
Text design by Leigh Hobbs and Marina Messiha, and Jo Hunt
Front and end matter design by Sandra Nobes
For Old Tom readers...
wherever you are
A word from the author
I don’t particularly dislike cats; it’s just that I am allergic to them. In any case, I am most definitely a dog person. And Old Tom is more like an Australian cattle dog, or blue heeler, perhaps with a touch of Tasmanian devil, than he is a cat. Well, in my mind, anyhow.
In November 1992, I kissed a large envelope goodbye as I dropped it into a post box. The envelope was addressed to the senior editor at Penguin Children’s Books, and it contained a short letter introducing myself and a furry, orange one-eyed feline monster called Old Tom.
Already rejected by a number of publishing houses, I was beginning to feel like Old Tom. And so I had decided that this was going to be my last attempt. In fact, somewhere I recall writing in large letters: ‘Posted letter today. Forget it.’
Within a week, I had received a reply from the senior editor I’d written to, who said that she loved Old Tom and thought we should meet.
I was thrilled. Old Tom, it seemed, had found a home at last!
LEIGH HOBBS
Angela Throgmorton lived alone and liked it that way. One day, while doing some light dusting, she heard a knock at the door.
There, on her front step, was a baby monster.
Angela was curious, so she carried him in ...
and brought him up.
Angela had never fed a baby before, and what a strange big baby he was!
She called him ‘Old Tom’.
Old Tom grew up very quickly. In fact, it wasn’t long before he outgrew his playpen.
And when he did, Angela gave him the spare room. It was all clean and neat.
Angela taught Old Tom how to behave.
‘Sit up straight!’ she would say.
‘Elbows off the table.’
‘Not too much on your fork.’
‘Chew with your mouth closed.’
There was so much to learn.
But Old Tom loved bath time most of all, when he could splash about and make a mess.
He always liked to look his best...
especially when he went out to play.
At first, Angela ignored Old Tom’s childish pranks.
After all, she had things to do and dishes to wash.
But her heart sank when someone forgot his manners.
Old Tom tried to be good ...
though sometimes he was a bit naughty.
‘Aren’t you a little too old for such things?’
Angela Throgmorton often asked.
As the months went by, Angela tried to keep the house tidy.
It wasn’t easy, as Old Tom seemed to be everywhere.
There was no doubt about it,
he was a master of disguise.
Sometimes Angela heard strange noises coming from the kitchen,
and whenever she had guests, Old Tom would drop in unannounced.
Old Tom was out of control.
‘When will you grow up?’ Angela often muttered under her breath.
Sometimes Old Tom went for a little walk to the letterbox.
But Angela thought it best that he stay inside.
‘You mustn’t frighten the neighbours,’ she would say.
When babies came to visit ...
Old Tom loved to play.
‘Heavens, what’s that in the pram with my baby!’ cried one of Angela’s friends during afternoon tea one day.
It was Old Tom, of course.
Angela was extremely embarrassed.
By now, Angela was having trouble sleeping.
Her nerves were shattered,
and Old Tom’s fur had given her dreadful hayfever.
When she finally did fall asleep, Old Tom was often in her dreams.
Angela longed for the good old days, when her home was in order ...
with everything in its place.
Whenever it was time to help with the dishes, Old Tom felt sick.
He liked to sleep in, and enjoy a late breakfast on Angela’s favourite armchair.
Angela was fed up.
Old Tom had to go.
‘At last I have the house to myself!’
cried Angela Throgmorton.
It was a bold move, but Angela thought it for the best.
Now she was free to scrub ... and polish, sweep and mop.
With Old Tom gone, her house would be spick and span once more.
By now Old Tom was in town,
where there were places to see and people to meet.
In a pet shop nearby, he found new friends to play with.
Some had feathers and one had fins.
But Fluffy the puppy was ‘Old Tom’ favourite.
In the cinema next door the film had just started.
When Old Tom wandered in ... he was mistaken for a monster on the screen.
It was a wonderful surprise when Old Tom found Happyland.
There were swings and slides,
places to hide,
children to play with ...
and an elephant to ride.
Old Tom was having a lovely time
But not everyone was happy in Happyland.
When darkness fell, Old Tom was alone.
And when the storm came, he tried to be brave,
even when the thunder boomed.
For Old Tom there was
no breakfast or lunch,
or afternoon tea ...
while far away, Angela was alone in her clean tidy home.
Old Tom tried and tried to find someone to play with.
But he couldn’t find one friendly face.
There was no fur on her floor, but Angela still couldn’t sleep.
And neither could Old Tom.
He had nowhere to go and nothing to eat,
until at last he found food at the bottom of a bin,
where he dreamt of his warm safe bed.
Angela was worried sick.
For poor Old Tom ...
the future looked bleak.
Suddenly there was a news flash:
‘ORANGE FURRY MONSTER CAUGHT.’
‘That monster is my baby!’ cried Angela Throgmorton.
In no time at all, she was off to the pound to rescue Old Tom.
‘Be quick!’ Angela shrieked.
Inside his cage, Old Tom had just begun to cry,
when suddenly he heard a big voice boom:
‘I’m here for my baby!’
Angela was overjoyed.
And so was Old Tom.
A note from the editor
In 1992 I was a senior editor at Penguin Books in the children’s publishing department. One day a large envelope arrived. In it was a picture book dummy, with the words ‘OLD TOM’ on the cover accompanied by a loose, dynamic and hilarious illustration of a large, dishevelled cat holding the skeleton of a fish.
It was love at first sight! I was captivated by the expressiveness of Leigh Hobbs’ character - in just a few pen-and-ink lines he had conveyed the most complex emotions. As I turned the pages, I experienced a telltale shiver up my spine, which meant that I was looking at the real thing: that Old Tom had to be published.
I adored Old Tom’s relationship with Angela. It reminded me of my own relationship with my then seven-year-old son. For me, the stories of Old Tom and Angela have always been about a mother and a son and how they inhabit different worlds, can drive each other mad, yet share an unbreakable bond and will defend each other to the end.
My thanks go to my wonderful mentor, Julie Watts, the publisher at Penguin at the time, who gave Leigh and me the freedom to develop that first Old Tom book, saying to us, ‘Now go into that room and make a book together.’
Over twenty years later, Old Tom is a favourite with my grandchildren, has eight books to his name, and stars in a successful TV series too. No
ERICA WAGNER
A little bit about the author
Leigh Hobbs is an artist and author, best known for the children’s books featuring his characters Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Fiona the Pig, the Freaks of 4F, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken. Old Tom was also a popular TV series. Mr Chicken Goes to Paris was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and remains a bestseller at the Louvre Bookshop in Paris. Mr Chicken was adapted for the stage by NIDA and Horrible Harriet appeared at the Sydney Opera House in 2017.
In 2016-17, Leigh was Australian Children’s Laureate - his detailed Laureate itinerary is on the endpapers of Mr Chicken All Over Australia. In 2019, Leigh was one of five Australian Legends featured by Australia Post on a stamp.
www.leighhobbs.com
Also by Leigh HOBBS
and available from
Allen & Unwin...
Leigh Hobbs, Old Tom
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