Brief

The Tale of Prince is the story of an arrogant pedigree pooch, whose life is turned upside down by the
arrival of Bennie, a stray she-dog with a dark past. When someone kidnaps her, it’s up to Prince to
swallow his pride and lead the rescue team.

What We Liked

This is a timeless story of self-discovery - relatable, even starred by animals. With memorable
characters, ones you can't help but root for, the story plays out as the lead dog, Prince, goes on a quest
to find a mutt he thought had been lesser than him, learning along the way to overcome his prejudices
and what it means to truly have friends. This story is ripe for an animated feature film, as it follows a
well-constructed arc of adventure, quest and pursuit. It has a strong, endearing lead character
overcoming obstacles and finding a new way to see the world. The narrative also lends itself to being a
series, with continuous episodes based on the characters - pets of all shapes and sizes who live on
Bendell Street. Each character has its own distinct personality, and while the series would follow the
lead, a purebred Alsatian called Prince, there are more than enough characters for him to interact with
on a regular basis. Each episode would see him overcoming an obstacle related to how he sees the
world, which would be an entertaining lesson for a young audience.
Key points: A strong story-line; a compelling central premise of redemption; the chance to be inventive
in creating the animal characters; a heartwarming ending; talking dogs, cats and hamsters - what’s not
to love?

Synopsis

Prince, a purebred Alsatian who belongs to the Ripplestones, isn’t your average dog. He lives a perfect
life on Bendell Street, where he heads the Council of Pets, to which all the animals that live on that
street are part of. He is “pet-selection officer” and has made it his mission to keep the council free of
any strays or mongrels. His life with the Ripplestones, and regular supply of Auntie Cher’s Amazing
Cookies is as good as it can get, except for the fact that his owner, 8-year-old Timmy, is autistic and
stopped speaking to anyone. Prince’s life is turned upside down when a stray she-dog wanders onto
Bendell Street, and straight into the hearts of Timmy and his parents.
Determined to get his life back to perfect, Prince sets about framing Bennie, as the she-dog is named
by her new owners, and getting her kicked out. But it all goes awry, as Bennie is dog-napped, much to
the distress of Timmy, who has gone silent again, and Syria, one of the neighborhood’s beloved cats,
Syria, is found dead in his family’s swimming pool. Realizing the trouble he’s caused, Prince sets out
on a quest to go beyond the borders of Bendell Street and find Bennie.
Their quest leads Prince and his crew to an old slaughterhouse, where Bennie has been taken. It used
to be her home, where she and her brother, Matt aka Reaper, were raised to be dog-fighters. This was
the life she had run away from. As Prince and his new pals try to rescue Bennie, he is shot, and
Lancaster is killed. But Prince survives, by playing dead, just as his master Timmy once taught him. He
kills Reaper’s owner, Eric, the man who dog-napped Bennie. In retaliation, Reaper goes to Bendell Street
to try kill Timmy, Prince’s owner, but his sister gives her life to save Timmy. For days, Prince is
devastated thinking Bennie has died; however, remembering a childhood poem he once was taught, he
heads back to the source of the river she fell into, and finds her there. She has survived and they return
to Bendell Street to live happy lives together, with Prince’s prejudices overcome and his heart much
bigger in size.

About The Author

Bianca Claudia Staines is an Anglo-Italian writer based in New Zealand. The Tale of Prince is the first book in a young adult series called The Taleweavers' Adventures. She is currently writing two sequels.