Dr. Steven E. Farkas received his PhD. from the University of New Mexico in 1969, and was a Professor of Geology at Central Washington University for more than 35 years. While at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Farkas had the good fortune to listen to many lectures on the geology, geography, and culture of ancient China, that were given by Dr. Yi-Fu Twan a world famous Chinese scholar.
Since then, Dr. Farkas has had a keen interest in the geology of Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains. After obtaining his two Lhasa Apso dogs, (the ancient species of dogs that originated in Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains) Annie Pooh and MarLee, and studying their unusual characteristics, Dr. Farkas decided it would be fun to write some Fairy Tales for them which would take place in ancient China.
Annie Pooh (Princess Pup) and MarLee have marvelously exciting adventures in ancient China. Annie Pooh is lost, then found, and becomes Princess Pup, she then meets MarLee. Together, they free a prince from prison, chase a thieving monkey, and help the ancient Chinese discover Fireworks. Dr. Farkas lives with his family, and Annie Pooh and MarLee, in Spokane Washington.
“Two dogs. Two dogs. My guard was outsmarted by two small dogs!”
What better way to honor beloved pets than to place them at the heart of a delightful children’s story? Former university science professor, Dr. Steven E. Farkas, does just that in his creation of the Princess Pup series, an imaginative collection of adventurous tales that star his lovable Lhasa apso dogs Annie Pooh and MarLee. With this canine breed’s Asian ancestral roots, Farkas fittingly sets his story in ancient China.
In Annie Pooh and MarLee Rescue a Prince, the fetch and find game skills that Annie Pooh learns under the guidance of a princess, will ultimately serve to help a prince held in confinement. It is the same prince who presented MarLee (a cousin to Annie Pooh), as a gift to the princess. The two dogs become fast friends and bring laughter and joy to their surroundings. When the princess learns of the prince’s imprisonment at the hands of a neighboring king, she puts together a plan for his rescue and enlists the talents of clever Annie Pooh. Sidekick MarLee is never far behind.
Easy to follow and well-paced, this is a delightful story for an adult and child to share, or for a child to experience alone. Illustrations by Brandon Coleman are bold and colorful. Facial expressions and motion lines aptly capture the narrative action. Floppy ears pinned against the force of the wind are sure indicators of the bursting energy in these four-footed royals.
With a happy twist ending, these two furry pals exemplify such honor and bravery that even the king recognizes their distinguished characters as equal to those of his own soldiers. It is a true revelation that will surely add to a reader’s enjoyment in getting to know these heroic, palace pups.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review