Working Dog Wednesday: An Interview with Princess Zelda

This week, I interviewed royalty. Was it Prince William? His lovely new bride? No, this week's 'Working Dog Wednesday' features my good friend Princess Zelda, the wise and witty superstar who is famous for her books, greeting cards, calendars, cookies and more.

Zelda is a diva, for sure. But she's a diva of the best sort and she always has time for her friends and her fans. She even wrote the foreword to my own book, Secrets of a Working Dog. Today, Zelda graciously agreed to talk to me about her latest project, a children's book called Princess Zelda and the Frog. Take it from me, this book is going to be a huge hit. My own 2-legged little sister insists that I read it to her five times a day!

Bella: Delighted to see you again, Zelda. I must say, you look fabulous. What's your secret?
Zelda: It's the tiara, darling. I think everyone should wear one!

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Bella: So tell me about your new book, Princess Zelda and the Frog. What's the behind-the-scenes story?
Zelda: Well, I decided that the classic Grimm fairy tale needed a little modernizing. It needed a bit of that "Zelda Zing," if you know what I mean. So I called up my creative team, recruited a few of my bulldog buddies, pulled together a wardrobe of fantastic costumes, and voila!—a gorgeous new fairy tale was born.

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Bella: What makes this such a special book for children?
Zelda: This is the first book for kids where real dogs dress up and impersonate humans. No cartoon characters here. It's just me—Princess Zelda—and my photogenic friends the Frog Prince, King Sour-Mug and Queen Lucille…wrinkles, underbites and all! We take our pint-sized readers (and their parents) on a fun and fantastic trip to Zelda Land.

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Bella: Is being a fairy tale princess harder than being a modern day princess?
Zelda: I love playing dress-up (oh, those silk gowns are heavenly)…but a fairy tale princess has to deal with so many rules and restrictions that it's positively stifling! A modern princess, on the other hand, doesn't have to be perfect. She can have fun, be herself and still be treated like royalty that she is.

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Bella: I understand you are very busy promoting the book. What else are you up to?
Zelda: True, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. In addition to promoting the book, I am working with my mom, Carol Gardner, to bring therapy dogs to children's hospitals across the country. I also work with the Morris Animal Foundation to support research to find a cure for canine cancer, and with the Banfield Charitable Trust's Pet Peace of Mind project which helps people in hospice stay together with their pets. It's not easy to juggle so many things at once, but true princesses always find a way to give back.

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Bella: With a schedule like that, how do you maintain your princess physique?
Zelda: My secret for staying sane is to work out and eat healthy. I have my own personal trainer and my mom spoils me with a yummy diet of brown rice, broccoli, chicken and pumpkin. Oh, and I get lots of pawdicures. A princess must always have pretty paws!

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Bella: Will there be more fairy tales in your future, Zelda?
Zelda: Well, I've been sworn to secrecy…but everyone knows that English bulldogs have loose lips so, yes, you'll be seeing more of Princess Zelda in the future.

Princess Zelda and the Frog (Feiwel & Friends, 2011) is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can get personally pawtographed copies from Zelda's website at www.ZeldaWisdom.com.

Check out Team Zelda's recent TV appearance on KATU's AM Northwest.