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The Dog Prince
A handsome but spoiled prince, feeling that his royal life is dull, decides to challenge himself by hunting the monstrous chimera. On his journey, his rudeness and arrogance offend a faery, who turns him into a hound dog as punishment. Afterward, the gentle kindness of a poor goat girl named Eliza transforms the prince's heart. When the chimera threatens Eliza, the dog prince fights to save her -- and discovers that she can save him, too.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 13, 2023
Initially, I thought this was going to be an adaptation of the fairy tale The Small-Toothed Dog, an English Animal Bridegroom type of folktale, but no. Turns out this is a (semi-)original tale that does remind you of and has elements from the English folktale.
And what is the story about? A bratty prince who only cares about hunting and not ruling, goes on a hunt one day and passes through a path that's full of the sheep of a humble shepherdess he bullies into getting out of his way, and then has to cross a bridge where an old woman is tending her newly washed clothing. He tries to bully the old lady like he did the shepherdess, but it turns out the old woman is a fairy and curses him to become a dog as punishment for ruining her laundry.
Yes, the curse is disproportionate in relation to the sin, but what can you do? Magical people can't be reasoned with when mad at you. The dog-prince is depressed to the point of wanting to let himself die at first, but then the shepherd girl finds him and slowly cajoles him out of his misery. He becomes her loyal shepherd dog, her companion, and, to his shame, listens to the bad thoughts she shares with him about the bully prince she once met. Eventually, he's infatuated with the girl and so loyal to her he unwittingly earns his redemption by offering up his life to save her from danger.
I thought the ending was a bit cheesy and . . . well, doesn't quite sound like he learnt his lesson, because Well, I guess that's fairy tales for you, happy ending at any costs.
I was so very dissatisfied with that. But otherwise, it's a nice tale. The art is a bit too photo-realistic, and needed to be more fairy tale-ish in terms of imagery, too.
And what is the story about? A bratty prince who only cares about hunting and not ruling, goes on a hunt one day and passes through a path that's full of the sheep of a humble shepherdess he bullies into getting out of his way, and then has to cross a bridge where an old woman is tending her newly washed clothing. He tries to bully the old lady like he did the shepherdess, but it turns out the old woman is a fairy and curses him to become a dog as punishment for ruining her laundry.
Yes, the curse is disproportionate in relation to the sin, but what can you do? Magical people can't be reasoned with when mad at you. The dog-prince is depressed to the point of wanting to let himself die at first, but then the shepherd girl finds him and slowly cajoles him out of his misery. He becomes her loyal shepherd dog, her companion, and, to his shame, listens to the bad thoughts she shares with him about the bully prince she once met. Eventually, he's infatuated with the girl and so loyal to her he unwittingly earns his redemption by offering up his life to save her from danger.
I thought the ending was a bit cheesy and . . . well, doesn't quite sound like he learnt his lesson, because Well, I guess that's fairy tales for you, happy ending at any costs.
I was so very dissatisfied with that. But otherwise, it's a nice tale. The art is a bit too photo-realistic, and needed to be more fairy tale-ish in terms of imagery, too.
August 3, 2012
The Dog Prince is an original fairytale in which a beautiful, arrogant, self-centered prince is turned into a big, baggy-eyed bloodhound while hunting a chimera. In this state, he meets the love of his life and learns to value something other than himself. In the end, he proves himself worthy and shows that he is, indeed, the stuff of which dreams are made. The use of deep purple end papers in conjunction with romantic illustrations of watercolor and pencil on D’Arches watercolor paper not only render opulence but also complement and extend the text of this new classic fairytale in which the damsel in distress saves and is saved. Furthermore, the spell that creates such a lush world is cast with a dedication page that which states that “this book is dedicated to all those who are willing to risk everything thing for their dream.” As part of the secondary curriculum, The Dog Prince could serve as a dreamy exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle explained by Peter R. Stillman in Introduction to Myth.
May 8, 2018
I adored this original fairy tale, which, judging by the illustrations, appeared to take place during the Renaissance (the prince's trunk hose were particularly puffy). It was published as a children's book but there is a maturity in its writing and message that transcends childhood.
There is an element of Beauty and the Beast in this tale. Essentially, it's an "animal groom" tale. The young prince is spoiled and cruel, and as punishment he is transformed into a "beast" (in this case, a rather lovable bloodhound) by a fairy in disguise. He meets a peasant girl he had previously wronged, and she cares for him as a dog. He grows to love her and he longs to communicate with her, but of course he cannot. One night he defends her against a chimera, wounding himself, and her love ultimately transforms him, returning him to his princely form with a changed heart.
There is an element of Beauty and the Beast in this tale. Essentially, it's an "animal groom" tale. The young prince is spoiled and cruel, and as punishment he is transformed into a "beast" (in this case, a rather lovable bloodhound) by a fairy in disguise. He meets a peasant girl he had previously wronged, and she cares for him as a dog. He grows to love her and he longs to communicate with her, but of course he cannot. One night he defends her against a chimera, wounding himself, and her love ultimately transforms him, returning him to his princely form with a changed heart.
October 17, 2016
I loved this fairy tale. The prince learns to love after being turned into a dog. He fights the chimera.
May 13, 2019
Cute read. Kids will love it. Adults will wish for a longer one. I do wish the prince looked a little different after what he went through - a little less pinched-looking perhaps. But we can’t have everything.
January 6, 2023
Beautiful illustrations! Story is good, very similar to “Prince Darling” from The Blue Fairy Book.
January 11, 2010
Billed as 'an original fairy tale', I added this one to my Beauty and the Beast collection as it follows the same basic pattern of transformation of the prince for bad behavior into non-human form and his return to self through the love of a woman. Here we have the added element of the dog-prince saving his 'beauty' from another beast- a rampaging chimera. Nice muted illustrations with cute goats and an adorable blood hound for a prince. I especially like the old faery crone.
October 31, 2021
Wistful, unique style of illustrating.
May 8, 2013
This is a lovely original fairy tale, written in a traditional style. It has beautiful watercolor and pencil illustrations in a romantic style, with muted colors.
February 23, 2009
I love the pictures and my students loved it!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews