Pretzel (ages 4 and up) written by Margret Rey is a very special book. I have always been a fan of Curious George and so this book has been a favorite of mine since I could remember. Pretzel is about a dachshund named Pretzel who loves another dog, Greta. He wants to marry her but she won’t marry him because she doesn’t like long dogs. He tries everything from buying presents and showing off his beautiful features but nothing works until Greta needs help. Pretzel is there to save her and so she marries him at the end. I think we can all learn a lesson with this book. We love people for who they are and not for what presents they give you or what they look like on the outside. Discuss the morale of the story with your child. Ask “wh” questions, compare the size of Pretzel versus the other dogs and how Pretzel felt when Greta didn’t want to marry him. Discuss various breeds of dogs with your child and do some more in depth research of dachshunds.
Carryover Activity: Buy different types of pretzels and discuss their shapes, what makes them the same versus different and how they taste. For a fun play activity, use play doh to mold Pretzel and Greta. Have fun and be creative!
If you want to learn more about Margret Rey and H.A. Rey, history of Curious George, etc. visit this page.