By Cammi Woodall
How many of you have seen Disney’s 101 Dalmatians? You have probably seen it 101 times! We all know the story of Pongo, Perdita, and their 99 puppies on the run from the evil Cruella de Vil. Did you know, however, that this beloved movie was based on a children’s book from 1956?
Dodie Smith wrote the original story of Pongo and Missis, our canine couple who live with their ‘pets’, Mr. and Mrs. Dearly. In this story, Perdita is a stray the Dearlys find and adopt. Missus gives birth to 15 puppies, who disappear after a visit from the infamous Cruella de Vil.
That’s right, 15 puppies. So how do they find the rest of the puppies? Join Pongo and Missis as they participate in the Twilight Bark and end up finding 97 puppies!
I just want to say – I love this book. Love, adore, cherish, treasure, hold dear… Any synonym you can think of for love applies. It is one of my favorite books ever and rates with my other childhood favorites such as The Wizard of Oz and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
When I wrote this article, Amazon and Barnes and Noble both had copies available of the original story. EBay is another good place to look.
Are you keeping count? Pongo, Missis, Perdita and 97 puppies – that’s only 100. Where does the last Dalmatian come from? Get to eBay and track down a copy of this classic to find out for sure!
Dodie Smith’s classic tale about 101 Dalmatians and their fight for survival against the evil Cruella De Vil. When Missis and Pongo’s puppies go missing, the two Dalmatian parents know the scary Cruella De Vil has had something to do with it. After all, she adores furs, and the Dalmatians have such beautiful coats …The dogs’ pets, Mr. and Mrs. Dearly, don’t understand them, so it is up to Pongo and Missis to rescue their pups – with the help of all the dogs in England. The Hundred and One Dalmatians is an all-time classic children’s book. Famously adapted by Walt Disney Studios, it continues to be one of the most popular children’s books long after the author’s death.
Click to tweet: Read the original story of 101 Dalmatians! #101 Dalmatians
Oh!
Jennifer, I’m soooooooo glad to learn this favoritest of mine begin life as a book you can get peanut butter on.
When does the voting start for whether we prefer the cartoon 101 or the live actors version?
This was a favorite book from my childhood. I fell in love with it again when I read it to my kids at Christmas this year.