Starlight Barking

This sequel to THE 101 DALMATIANS is somewhat different from its predecessor. In THE 101 DALMATIANS, the dogs (give or take their varying talents for understanding human speech and even writing) had the limitations of real dogs - they had a great deal of difficulty in communicating complicated ideas to humans, they were hampered by the lack of hands to open doors, and so on. In other words, while the first book had dogs who understood everything that was going on, it wasn't exactly a fantasy. Here, the first thing that happens on the fine summer day on which the story begins, when Pongo and Missis wake in their human pets' room at Hell Hall, is that they begin learning that a lot of their normal limitations have mysteriously vanished. None of the dogs are hungry (amazing in itself with so many young mothers and puppies on the premises), doors and gates mysteriously open whenever the dogs need to get into or out of a place, and they can move much faster than usual. But these changes are accompanied by frightening events - the Dearlys and even the Persian cats are sleeping normally and even smiling in their sleep, but will not wake. Pongo meets with the General (formerly a Colonel), who as a working sheepdog on a nearby farm is very practiced at organization and strategy, to find that the unbreakable sleep seems to have affected *all* living creatures other than dogs. They are soon contacted by Cadpig, the youngest of the Pongos' first litter, who alone chose to get a pet of her own - by tagging along on one of Mr. Dearly's consultations with the government to help deal with the national debt, she got her dearest wish of being on television by becoming the Prime Minister's pet. That in itself is a good story - the poor man was so touched by her display of obvious affection for him when most people had nothing nice to say about him that he was glad to have her. She improved his approval ratings so much that most high-ranking government officials followed suit and got dogs - and now those dogs are acting in place of their sleeping humans to direct the country, so that Cadpig is acting as Prime Minister and trying to keep all the dogs calm and figure out what's going on - and she asks her father to join her in London as an adviser. (Her mother, unasked, also gives her some sound advice - while Missis may not be as intellectual as Pongo, she has good sense and good instincts, while Cadpig is so bossy that she goes overboard at trying to organize things.) The core cast of THE 101 DALMATIANS quickly reassembles, as Prince and Perdita are left to look after the Dearlys and the Pongos take their now-grown first litter with them to London. (It's a pity that Prince isn't much developed as a character, but Perdita's homelessness in early youth left its mark, and leaving the two of them at Hell Hall makes the cast in this book track that of the previous book more closely.) The cats from the first book and even young Tommy, the General's particular pet human

This was an amazing book. When I first started reading it, I wondered about some changes in the story compared to Disney's Movie. I think it was not good for Disney to change the story, and love the Starlight Barking much better than Disney's sequel, 102 Dalmations. It was cool to see that dogs could fly, open doors, and talk long-distance (with out paying extra!) I love this fantisy, but I think that Sirus should have let them have one special day like this every year and get to visit them. I certanly wouldn't mind sleeping in so that dogs could have fun. Once I dreamed that there were 20 books in the series, and that me and my friend tried to buy them all. I wish there really were 20 books.

When Pongo,( an intelligent, Handsome Male Dalmatian) Missis (A Pretty, and very metaphysical Female Dalmatian) and Cadpig ( The Pretty, Metaphysical, Intelligent Daughter of Pongo and Missis) wake up one morning and Find their 'pets' unwakeable, they imeadiatly wonder what's wrong. On their way to find out, they discover such things as how to 'Swoosh', a sort of way to hover,"High Swoosh", which is basicallly flying, and how to do things by just thinking about it. When they get a mysterious message from a bodiless voice,they tell the dogs of England to meet a Trafalgar Square at Midnight. When they do discover the reason behind all this, they Are Horrified!

I found this book in the library and was disappointed that it wasn't in print. I bought it on sight when I found out it was available again.

For those of you who loved Pongo, Misses, Perdita, Prince, and the rest of the Dalmation gang of the original book, this sequel is a welcome journey back to the "Dalmation Plantation" once known as Hell Hall. More science fiction in nature than the original, The Starlight Barking takes place a year or two after the original. The fifteen pupies have grown up, with the Cadpig even taking the Prime Minister as her "pet". It's been a tranquil time for Pongo and his Misses. Tranquil, that is, until one morning when their pets fail to wake up, doors open on their own for the dogs, and they even find that they can fly. Their search for answers take them to Number 10 Downing Street where Prime Minister Cadpig and Pongo, along with all dogdom, receive a message from across space. It is Siruis, the Dog Star, who has come to offer the canines of Earth an eternity of Bliss if only they will come with him, leaving Earth and humankind behind. The dogs' loyalty is put to the test. Will they leave man and Earth forever, dooming humans to a world without dogs? Or will they remain and live in a world filled with cruelty and the possibility of nuclear war? The Starlight Barking doesn't quite live up to the original, but still makes for a good yarn. Most of the elements of a good story are there, and it is nice to see some of the characters expanded upon from 101 Dalmations, including Cadpig and Roly Poly. I read this book in a single day, and was left with the wish that Dodie Smith would again write another sequel. I would definately recommend this book for those of you who liked the original.