Pretzel

Pretzel

By: Margret Rey

Illustrated by: H.A. Rey

I have a funny story about this book. A couple of my friends from college, Heidi and Heather, are as in love with dachshunds as I am. We bonded over our love for our perpetual-puppies. I like to give them dachshund related items, and this Christmas I decided I would find a book for them. I found Pretzel online, and even though I hadn’t read it I bought a copy for both of them. The same day I put their books in the mail I got a package from Heidi in the mail—and she had got me a copy of Pretzel too! It’s funny, and makes me smile.

I bought it without reading it because the same people that made Curious George created it and I had high expectations.

Pretzel is the story of a dachshund (Pretzel) that grows abnormally long and tries to woo a lady dachshund, Greta. But Greta doesn’t like long dogs and so he has to prove that he would do anything for her.

The premise of the book is that Greta was judging Pretzel for his appearance. When he is heroic and saves her from a construction zone she fell in, she decides she’ll marry him.

I get that the big picture idea is that it’s inside beauty that matters over outward beauty. But I think it’s also important to note that in the book, Pretzel is praised for how long he is by everyone but Greta—he wins ribbons for being the longest dog. But Greta doesn’t praise him like the others.

A secondary lesson is that everyone judges beauty differently. Even though the world said that Pretzel was the best, Greta didn’t see that until he put himself in danger to help her.

It’s a cute book. It’s definitely different from what I’m used to seeing in newer children’s books. But it’s good. I would read it to my kiddos and discuss the different aspects of it with them.