THE DOG PRINCE

Disguised but recognizable elements from several fairy tales give this romantic episode a faintly arch undertone. An arrogant but extremely handsome prince is transformed into a floppy-skinned bloodhound after making the mistake of annoying an old woman who happens to be a fairy. Soon he finds himself reduced to eating garbage and sleeping under a bush, until Eliza, a beautiful, kind-hearted goat girl with “eyes that are like a chimera’s”—whatever that means—takes him in, dubbing him “Prince,” and teaching him a bit of discipline. He falls in love, and is able to show his devotion at last by saving her from a rampaging chimera of the lion-headed sort. As he lies dying in her lap, she kisses him, thus breaking the spell and paving the way for a quick marriage and a life together—not in the palace, but in the hills with the goats. The pale, formal illustrations play it straight, depicting elegantly posed figures in elaborately embroidered Renaissance costume (except for the prince in his four-legged incarnation, of course). Though the telling is often stiff and somewhat forced, this is a pretty tale, equally suitable for fans of conventional romance or fairy tale pastiches. (Picture book. 7-9)