Book Review: The Prince and the Pooch (Wishbone, kids)

The Prince and the Pooch (book 3 of 21 in the series, The Adventures of Wishbone) by Caroline Leavitt (Scholastic, 1997, 144 pages, ages 8 and up, grades 3-6)

Everyone younger than a high school graduate grew up with Wishbone, that lovable Jack Russell Terrier (Parsons Russell Terrier now) mutt who talks (but nobody listens), gets into trouble and out of it again, and saves the day, solving the mystery.

But, did you know that Wishbone also helps teach the literary classics? And makes them fun for kids (and a quick review for parents).

We picked up The Prince and the Pooch and can’t wait to get the others!

Two Stories in One!

In The Prince and the Pooch, Wishbone is the star – actually both stars – of Mark Twain’s fun story about a prince and a pauper who look so much alike that they can change places for a few days. Each soon learns a double lesson: there is no place like home, and one can improve the lives of others. Somehow we have no trouble with the fact that only Wishbone is a dog while all the other characters are human: they can all understand each other’s ‘speech.’

Wishbone narrates and acts in a currentday story of young Joe thrust into the position of coaching 5-year-old girls at T-ball, which drives him crazy. They run away from balls, they braid their hair during games (really? A 5-year-old can do that?), they get distracted and would rather pet Wishbone than try (and fail) to hit when it’s their turn to bat.

Or, Three Stories. . . .

Chapters alternate between the nowadays story of coaching the girls with the olden-day story of British royalty and poverty but they all manage to come to a successful conclusion at the same time.

Now, we can’t wait to read Hunchdog of Notre Dame, A Tale of Two Sitters, Be a Wolf!, Gullifur’s Travels, Digging to the Center of the Earth, Moby Dog, Robinhound Crusoe, The Pawloined Paper, Homer Sweet Homer, A Pup in King Arthur’s Court, Ivanhound, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Dog, . . .

Bonus for Parents

Can you remember the actual title of the classic, after Wishbone has ‘modified’ the names of some of them? Even the front book covers are familiar.