The Starlight Barking (101 Dalmatians)

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Bad People Abuse Animals: Cruella, obviously. Aside from her love of furs and plans to turn a large number of puppies into coats, she also mistreats her own cat and drowns all the kittens said cat has given birth to. Comically Missing the Point: At one point the puppies rest in a church. They assume the kneeler cushions are puppy-sized dog beds and that the nativity scene is an odd kind of television. Served with this utter look, our ostensible hero Mr. Dearly, whose dogs Cruella will shortly steal, peers down his nose and says, “Isn’t she a bit showy?” and truly, I don’t see how Smith could have expected anyone to root for him after that. Dog Walks You: In This Is My Human fashion, Pongo and Missis think of themselves as putting the Dearlys on the leash and taking them out for some air. However, the difference between those books and this one is that here, we have a REALISTIC world that suddenly TURNS surreal, and for the readers to accept that, they need some kind of explanation: Who did this, and how/why? And this is where this book fails to deliver: The initial sense of wonder doesn't last long, and for more than half the book, our characters are wandering around with no real sense of purpose. Then we finally meet Sirius... but instead of exploring this marvelous character any further, the book hurries the plot along, squeezing the revelation, offer, resolution and epilogue into roughly the last third of the not-so-long book.

A Cat in a Gang of Dogs: Lt. Tib and to a lesser degree Cruella's cat are the only felines in the story. Both assist the dalmatians. The Smart Guy: Pongo is unusually intelligent for a dog and easily understands concepts that most dogs struggle with. The narrative repeatedly calls him "the owner of one of the keenest brains in Dogdom." A day of enchantments for the Dalmatians of the first book begins when the Dalmatians wake up and find all the humans and other animals in an unnaturally deep sleep. They hear the barking of Cadpig, carrying all the way from London, where she has become the prime minister's pet. She informs them reports from all over the country reveal the same phenomenon, and summons delegate dogs to London. They travel to London by "swooshing", described as gliding just off the ground. Ascended Extra: Cruella's white cat and the Staffordshire Terrier are minor (if important) characters in the original novel, but are major characters in the sequel, and quite a bit of the novel is dedicated to the Odd Friendship that springs up between them when they realize they aren't that different. Nearly Normal Animal: Pongo and Missis, particularly Pongo, who can understand concepts like left and right, devoured Shakespeare in his youth (in a tasty leather binding), and can even read.This Is My Human: The dogs refer to the Dearlys as their pets. They are aware that the Dearlys believe it's the other way around, but they find it charming and let their humans continue to believe so. Better the Devil You Know: Upon learning Cruella isn't the sequel antagonist, Pongo "almost wished she were" since she's "the devil he knew" and he felt someone unknown and more powerful was in charge. Demoted to Extra: Several characters in The Starlight Barking; most notably Cruella, who is discussed often but only actually appears once — and even then she spends the entire scene asleep.

Although The Hundred and One Dalmatians has been adapted into two films (animated: One Hundred and One Dalmatians; live-action: 101 Dalmatians), and each version has a sequel film ( Patch's London Adventure and 102 Dalmatians), neither sequel film has any connection to The Starlight Barking. Disney archivist Dave Smith said that he was unaware of any considerations for adapting the novel although Walt Disney was interested in doing another project based on Smith's further writings. Author Elizabeth Hand praised the "sophisticated canine society" in the novel. Russ Allbery stated in an online review that, while sometimes predictable, it is "significantly better" than its predecessor and can be seen as "a story of the attractions and perils of sudden advanced technology." The Staffordshire - a powerful, impulsive but good-hearted Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He helped the Dalmatians in the first novel and is reunited with them in London. He initially dislikes cats but becomes an honored friend of The White Persian when he shows he is willing to help her kill Cruella if necessary. The Dearly family and most of the Dalmatians of the first book still live in Cruella de Vil's old manor house in Suffolk, as do many of the other rescued Dalmatians and a married couple of White Persian cats. Mr. Dearly has allowed some dogs to go to new masters, including giving Cadpig to the Prime Minister.This book centers around Pongo and Missis, the main characters from the 101 Dalmatians and a few of their pups plus some other beloved characters that appeared in the first book as well as the Walt Disney animated film of the same name. In this book the dogs wake up to a world filled with silence in which canines are the only animals awake, well the dogs, and 3 honorary dogs which include two cats and a young boy named Tommy. Major/Mrs. Willow - formerly Lieutenant Willow in the first novel, before her promotion. She is a farm tabby and the General's strong right paw and closest friend. She was made an honorary dog after her part in the first novel, and thus is immune to the "Mysterious sleep". She openly dislikes Sirius.