PRINCE FOR A PRINCESS

Christina gets her wish for a dog.

When the family visits the farm where the rescued greyhounds live, Christina, sometimes called Princess by her dad, is attracted to the biggest dog of all, Prince. Prince, gentle and loving, has never been a pet, but he, like most greyhounds, does not really bark and is calm around children, especially quiet ones like Christina. Bert, the owner of the farm, teaches Christina all she needs to know about Prince, including interesting details that pertain just to greyhounds. Prince has to be taught how to climb stairs because “[r]acing greyhounds live a flat life.” Greyhounds are sociable and do not like to be left alone. Luckily, Christina’s mother works from home. When Prince does have to be left alone, he leaves scratches on the doors and escapes from the backyard, providing the only real scare of the book. A fine solution is found when Christina’s parents find a day companion for Prince: a tiny Chihuahua. This simple but entirely engaging short chapter book for early readers is filled with child appeal. Frequent ink illustrations, with Christina drawn as an Asian-featured child with non-Asian parents, provide just the right amount of visual information to keep the pages turning.

Satisfying big-dog-meets-little-girl story.