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Titus Rules!
WHO'S MORE IMPORTANT than the Queen? Whom does she serve? Her royal corgis, of course! But life isn’t just royal thrones and unlimited biscuits for young Titus, Her Majesty’s favorite pup. There are burglars to catch, fires to put out, leaking tubs to attend to, and jealous cousins to deal with. In the end, though, it’s the Queen’s edict that matters “Titus Rules!”
Dick King-Smith, beloved author of The Gallant Pig , offers a delightfully entertaining book to inspire readers with love for young
Titus, and also with love for reading.
“Kids will enjoy the engaging Titus; the fast-moving, witty prose; and the adventures inspired by loyalty and royalty, whether two legged or four. Comic drawings add to the fun.”— Booklist
Dick King-Smith, beloved author of The Gallant Pig , offers a delightfully entertaining book to inspire readers with love for young
Titus, and also with love for reading.
“Kids will enjoy the engaging Titus; the fast-moving, witty prose; and the adventures inspired by loyalty and royalty, whether two legged or four. Comic drawings add to the fun.”— Booklist
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2002
3 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Dick King-Smith
328 books309 followersDick King-Smith was born and raised in Gloucestershire, England, surrounded by pet animals. After twenty years as a farmer, he turned to teaching and then to writing children's books.
Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does.
Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.
Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does.
Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 16, 2018
The Queen has about 10 Corgis that she loves dearly. It is her personal source of joy. Titus is the new pup in the litter. He quickly becomes her favorite because he asks to go out to pee and doesn’t piddle on the royal rug. He has something extra special about this. He catches thieving happening and he smells smoke. King Titus Rules!
Dick King-Smith wrote babe. He brings personality to animals in an amazing way. I think his stories are fun and full of imagination. He has some Roald Dahl in his work, in his way to connect his work with children, but I haven’t seen the dark side that Roald has. I do enjoy reading his stories.
This is a 90 page story for middle grade readers and above. It goes quickly and it’s a great story for animal lovers and seeing the Queen in a human light. The Queen of England is funny here. She has some spunk.
Dick King-Smith wrote babe. He brings personality to animals in an amazing way. I think his stories are fun and full of imagination. He has some Roald Dahl in his work, in his way to connect his work with children, but I haven’t seen the dark side that Roald has. I do enjoy reading his stories.
This is a 90 page story for middle grade readers and above. It goes quickly and it’s a great story for animal lovers and seeing the Queen in a human light. The Queen of England is funny here. She has some spunk.
April 9, 2021
Titus Rules! is a variance from Dick King-Smith's usual farm setting, and a charming change of pace it is. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband—Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh—interact like most older married couples. The Queen owns a pack of corgi dogs which Prince Philip is less than fond of. The short-legged canines get under his feet when he walks, a nuisance he'd just as soon not endure. But the Queen adores her corgis, especially Lady Priscilla of Windsor (Prissy). Prissy had her final litter a short while ago, the only survivor of which was Titus, who isn't your average pup. He listens to his mother's advice on how to please the Queen, taking a "wee" outside rather than soil the antique carpet, and the Queen is grateful for his discretion. She insists she doesn't play favorites, but one might think she has a particular affection for Titus.
Repeatedly Titus proves his intelligence and loyalty to the Queen, often earning a plate of custard cream cookies and chocolate digestives to share among the corgis. There's plenty of intrigue around Windsor Castle, and Titus has a nose for finding it. The royal abode employees three footmen—John the Scot, Patrick the Irishman, and Sidney the Londoner—but only two are trustworthy. Sidney plans on robbing the Queen during one of her trips away at Buckingham Palace or Balmoral, but Titus has other ideas. The thief won't get away with his crime as long as the Queen's beloved corgi pup is on the prowl. Chaos reigns after the confrontation with Sidney, but the Queen discerns that Titus is the hero, and her esteem for him increases. Titus's privilege stokes resentment in some corgis; Chum, a year his elder, wants to knock him down a peg, but Titus puts him in his place when Chum insults Prissy. An easygoing dog for the most part, Titus won't tolerate disrespect of his mother.
Disaster is averted when Titus notices water dripping through the ceiling after Prince Philip falls asleep in the bathtub with the faucet running. Great damage to Windsor Castle (not to mention the Duke of Edinburgh) might have occurred had Titus not alerted the Queen. Another time, Sir Gregory Collimore, Comptroller of the Queen's Household, nearly causes a fire in his office by neglecting to properly extinguish his cigarette. Titus's sensitive nose detects smoke before the flames spread, and he swoops to the rescue. How lucky the Queen is to have him as a member of her household; even Prince Philip is growing to like the young chap. His deeds call for an extraordinary display of affection, one you might never expect from a Queen, but richly deserved by Titus. There never was a corgi like him.
The copy I read of Titus Rules! is only ninety-two pages, and extensively illustrated. Titus has almost no adversity to overcome, but the scenes around Windsor Castle are amusing; Prince Charles even has a cameo, and the narrative uses it to rib him a bit. Titus Rules! isn't as strong as Dick King-Smith's The Merman or Babe: The Gallant Pig, but Titus is a good protagonist and the story is fun. What kid wouldn't love the tale of a dog who would be king?
Repeatedly Titus proves his intelligence and loyalty to the Queen, often earning a plate of custard cream cookies and chocolate digestives to share among the corgis. There's plenty of intrigue around Windsor Castle, and Titus has a nose for finding it. The royal abode employees three footmen—John the Scot, Patrick the Irishman, and Sidney the Londoner—but only two are trustworthy. Sidney plans on robbing the Queen during one of her trips away at Buckingham Palace or Balmoral, but Titus has other ideas. The thief won't get away with his crime as long as the Queen's beloved corgi pup is on the prowl. Chaos reigns after the confrontation with Sidney, but the Queen discerns that Titus is the hero, and her esteem for him increases. Titus's privilege stokes resentment in some corgis; Chum, a year his elder, wants to knock him down a peg, but Titus puts him in his place when Chum insults Prissy. An easygoing dog for the most part, Titus won't tolerate disrespect of his mother.
Disaster is averted when Titus notices water dripping through the ceiling after Prince Philip falls asleep in the bathtub with the faucet running. Great damage to Windsor Castle (not to mention the Duke of Edinburgh) might have occurred had Titus not alerted the Queen. Another time, Sir Gregory Collimore, Comptroller of the Queen's Household, nearly causes a fire in his office by neglecting to properly extinguish his cigarette. Titus's sensitive nose detects smoke before the flames spread, and he swoops to the rescue. How lucky the Queen is to have him as a member of her household; even Prince Philip is growing to like the young chap. His deeds call for an extraordinary display of affection, one you might never expect from a Queen, but richly deserved by Titus. There never was a corgi like him.
The copy I read of Titus Rules! is only ninety-two pages, and extensively illustrated. Titus has almost no adversity to overcome, but the scenes around Windsor Castle are amusing; Prince Charles even has a cameo, and the narrative uses it to rib him a bit. Titus Rules! isn't as strong as Dick King-Smith's The Merman or Babe: The Gallant Pig, but Titus is a good protagonist and the story is fun. What kid wouldn't love the tale of a dog who would be king?
February 8, 2016
A cute little story.
Titus is one smart little corgi!
The Queen is adorable, so is Prince Philip, and as for the corgis? Eek! I love corgis.
There may be some things that children wouldn't properly understand - the banter between "Madge" and Philip being one - their relationship is portrayed in a rather mature way.
I substituted the queen drinking coffee for tea. Obviously. I have a US copy, perhaps it had been edited for the US market.
Overall, a nice little story for children.
Titus is one smart little corgi!
The Queen is adorable, so is Prince Philip, and as for the corgis? Eek! I love corgis.
There may be some things that children wouldn't properly understand - the banter between "Madge" and Philip being one - their relationship is portrayed in a rather mature way.
I substituted the queen drinking coffee for tea. Obviously. I have a US copy, perhaps it had been edited for the US market.
Overall, a nice little story for children.
June 11, 2017
Awful. Published in 2002, feels like it was written much earlier. Lots of in-jokes for adults (such as Charles having to "wait an awfully long time" for the Queen to cash in her chips) but I don't think kids would get much out of it. Silly parody, not worth the paper it's printed on. I don't say that as a Royalist (which I'm not), just as a reader. Might appeal to a certain type of English person of a certain age, but left me cold. I got a definite vibe of Ace: The Very Important Pig meets Lassie.
August 8, 2014
I'll did a 4\5 because it is old and I am 10 so its kind of boring and kind of not
October 10, 2011
Titus Rules OK
Dick King-smith
A good children’s book, aimed at early/middle KS2. Could possibly be used as a topic starter on the current Royal Family, but I think it is more for children to read for themselves.
Although the book introduces some difficult or unusual words, as well as situations that would be alien to most children, in general they are explained by using the Mother to Son teaching dialogue, so this book has informational qualities alongside that of a fun story. The narrative is predominantly dialogue, though there is an interesting break at Chapter 6 which looks at the different characteristics of the 3 footmen who attend The Queen.
The story provides an accurate enough insight for children in to what life is like for The Queen, making some of it sound just like other everyday people. Other topics woven in to the story are a range of emotions, together with being brave, getting along with people and safety.
I’m not too sure about the ending as it seems to condone vandalism, but an enjoyable book overall.
Dick King-smith
A good children’s book, aimed at early/middle KS2. Could possibly be used as a topic starter on the current Royal Family, but I think it is more for children to read for themselves.
Although the book introduces some difficult or unusual words, as well as situations that would be alien to most children, in general they are explained by using the Mother to Son teaching dialogue, so this book has informational qualities alongside that of a fun story. The narrative is predominantly dialogue, though there is an interesting break at Chapter 6 which looks at the different characteristics of the 3 footmen who attend The Queen.
The story provides an accurate enough insight for children in to what life is like for The Queen, making some of it sound just like other everyday people. Other topics woven in to the story are a range of emotions, together with being brave, getting along with people and safety.
I’m not too sure about the ending as it seems to condone vandalism, but an enjoyable book overall.
August 13, 2016
I am not sure how the Royals would feel about this one, but it made me giggle. It captured much of what my mind thinks the relationship between the Queen and her husband would be like. And no, my kids will be disappointed to learn that this did not suddenly make me a corgi lover, but it was a cute story.
March 7, 2011
This is a cute and furry book.
March 13, 2024
Oh. My. Gosh.
I always suspected dogs can talk, and so, why wouldn't the Queen's Corgis talk?
Hilarious...and when Prince Phillip calls the Queen, "Madge," (short for Majesty), I laughed out loud!
I always suspected dogs can talk, and so, why wouldn't the Queen's Corgis talk?
Hilarious...and when Prince Phillip calls the Queen, "Madge," (short for Majesty), I laughed out loud!
June 18, 2022
I had read this ages ago but couldn't resist reading it again. A very funny spoof about the Queen and her corgis.
Delightful.
Delightful.
August 15, 2013
The Queen loves her Pembrokeshire Corgis. She treats them as if they are one of her own. In this light hearted story, Dick King-Smith tells the story about one of the Queen’s youngest Corgis, and most heroic, in ‘Titan Rules’.
Titan is just like all of the other Corgis in the Royal Household. He however, is the youngest. While sipping her tea and engaging in polite conversation with her husband, the Queen notices that Titus is more developed in his training and signals that he needs to go to the toilet, thus being taken outside by one of the Queen’s servants. Amazed at this behaviour, the Queen takes a shine to this particular dog and starts to bond with him more than the others, whom become a little jealous. The Queen has a reason to believe that this dog is special, as one day, one of her loyal (or so she thinks) servants’ caught by Titus trying to steal her jewels in her bedroom. Throughout the story, we see this relationship develop between owner and pet, just as it does in everyday life.
I particularly enjoyed the humorous side to this story. For example, the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip who are portrayed just like any other elderly couple who live together.
The topic of relationships is a strong point in this story therefore I feel it would be suitable for PHSE lessons whereby the children can recognise how relationships develop, not just between humans but animals also. Furthermore, older children could learn about caring and treating animals well (ethical issues). History plays a pivotal role in this story as we learn about the Queen and the people she lives with and her role she plays in society. Older primary school children would definitely learn from this story, along with younger children who would gain insight to the life of the Royal family (possibly during story time).
Titan is just like all of the other Corgis in the Royal Household. He however, is the youngest. While sipping her tea and engaging in polite conversation with her husband, the Queen notices that Titus is more developed in his training and signals that he needs to go to the toilet, thus being taken outside by one of the Queen’s servants. Amazed at this behaviour, the Queen takes a shine to this particular dog and starts to bond with him more than the others, whom become a little jealous. The Queen has a reason to believe that this dog is special, as one day, one of her loyal (or so she thinks) servants’ caught by Titus trying to steal her jewels in her bedroom. Throughout the story, we see this relationship develop between owner and pet, just as it does in everyday life.
I particularly enjoyed the humorous side to this story. For example, the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip who are portrayed just like any other elderly couple who live together.
The topic of relationships is a strong point in this story therefore I feel it would be suitable for PHSE lessons whereby the children can recognise how relationships develop, not just between humans but animals also. Furthermore, older children could learn about caring and treating animals well (ethical issues). History plays a pivotal role in this story as we learn about the Queen and the people she lives with and her role she plays in society. Older primary school children would definitely learn from this story, along with younger children who would gain insight to the life of the Royal family (possibly during story time).
March 29, 2015
I picked this up off Ebay to read with my 10-year-old daughter. I bought it because it was about a Corgi (more specifically, the Queen's Corgis) and we live in a house ruled by a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, who absolutely believes she is royalty. It was only after the book arrived that I realized the author was the same author who wrote books like "Babe" and "The Water Horse." That was a bonus, as I adore both those books/characters as well!
I paged through the book a little before reading it and I was glad I did. Because the book is set in England, it has terms and customs my 10-year-old wouldn't readily know and that was made even more confusing because of the language the Queen, her family and her servants used throughout. So, I did a lot of front-loading of the terminology, etc. so my daughter would know what was going on once we started reading. Had I not done that, I think the book would've been a little frustrating for her because we would've had to stop A LOT so I could've explained things to her, etc. But, because of the way we handled it, the reading went smoothly.
We absolutely LOVED it! We read a few chapters a night and she wavered between wanting to finish the whole thing in one sitting and waiting FOREVER to finish the last chapter because she "didn't want it to be over."
The book is about the Queen (yes, THE QUEEN and her ACTUAL family) and her herd of loyal Corgis and how one little guy managed to make himself stand out. As the adult, it was fun to see the English Royalty on the pages of the book and my daughter enjoyed it for all the reasons a child loves a well-written children's book. It was a sweet, funny read that is an absolute MUST for any Corgi lover!
I paged through the book a little before reading it and I was glad I did. Because the book is set in England, it has terms and customs my 10-year-old wouldn't readily know and that was made even more confusing because of the language the Queen, her family and her servants used throughout. So, I did a lot of front-loading of the terminology, etc. so my daughter would know what was going on once we started reading. Had I not done that, I think the book would've been a little frustrating for her because we would've had to stop A LOT so I could've explained things to her, etc. But, because of the way we handled it, the reading went smoothly.
We absolutely LOVED it! We read a few chapters a night and she wavered between wanting to finish the whole thing in one sitting and waiting FOREVER to finish the last chapter because she "didn't want it to be over."
The book is about the Queen (yes, THE QUEEN and her ACTUAL family) and her herd of loyal Corgis and how one little guy managed to make himself stand out. As the adult, it was fun to see the English Royalty on the pages of the book and my daughter enjoyed it for all the reasons a child loves a well-written children's book. It was a sweet, funny read that is an absolute MUST for any Corgi lover!
May 9, 2015
I'm afraid we didn't enjoy this one as much as some of King-Smith's others. Part of it is probably that Logan isn't too fond of dogs. And while I found the rude way Queen Elizabeth treats her husband funny as a grown-up, L doesn't have the background knowledge of royal life and marriage and I don't think he thought very highly of the Queen.
January 10, 2014
Corgi book by author of "Babe - The Pig." 2nd grade level with clever lessons in being good, but illustrations are poor caricatures of Queen and Prince Philip. British writer. Wouldn't dare impose the conversations between them.
Read
February 4, 2016Queen Elizabeth is fond of all her 10 Corgis, much to the annoyance of Prince Phillip. But one Corgi pup in particular earns the Queen's favor, and eventually that of the Prince, especially after escapades in which he foils a thieving servant, detects as bathroom leak, and discovers a house fire.
September 20, 2012
Fun story about a special corgi who is precious to the Queen. great read for children (and young at heart) Dick King Smith again has created a wonderful furry character to love.
July 14, 2015
gr 3-5
December 26, 2015
I recently re-read this, and it's so cute. I got it when I was still hardcore in my corgi phase and loved it.
March 1, 2017
75 - 2017
February 17, 2022
I would have given this book a rating of 4, due to the cute story, witty banter, and behaviours of the Royal Family in this entertaining book. I thought the author did a great job portraying them all, and he got many facts about them spot on. So, why the 1 star? For the line that a footman character (albeit a conniving, dishonest footman, but still) uses. Addressing the dogs, he says, "...Pity you don't live out in the Far East. They eat dogs out there. You lot would make a proper banquet." This book was written in 2002. Mr. King-Smith should know better than to make a controversial, racist statement like that, especially in a children's book.
October 3, 2025
This is adorable! Nothing can beat Babe, but this isn't too far off when you think about it; there's a plucky, cute animal as the main character, who surprises everyone after being underestimated, and there's even a guy who vaguely resembles James Cromwell as the curmudgeonly husband (actually, didn't he play Prince Phillip once?). Takes about three seconds to read, but is very heartwarming!
December 17, 2018
Cute story, but how many kids in the target age group will understand how the royal household of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip works? Maybe children in England will, but I think there's a lot of interaction between the queen and her consort that will go over their heads. Children in America probably won't get any of it. The story about the dog is fun though.
December 27, 2021
Still one of my favourites of Dick King-Smith's, and there are a handful of jokes I appreciate more as an adult than I did as a little kid. And the lovely depiction of the Queen and Prince Phillip's relationship hits differently in the year he died. Wonderful little story!
December 31, 2020
Adorable! I hadn’t read a Dick-King Smith book before (just seen Babe as a movie!) and I love that this focused on corgis! Super quick and darling.
April 28, 2021
I loved this book! So cute and made me laugh so many times.
January 12, 2024
This is a very cute book about Queen Elizabeth's Corgi named Titus. I recommend anyone to read it an enjoy!
June 20, 2010
Cute. The queen's dog totally gets who the servant really is.
December 31, 2016
Thank you, Dick King-Smith for helping me reach my reading challenge this year. :)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews