When it comes to otherworldly allure, few story ballets can rival Cinderella. Sergei Prokofiev's score haunts and enchants; the melodies mimic what one would expect from the imaginations of stars and fairies.

Snow White is the fairy tale most likely to cause the need for lifelong counseling: You're so beautiful that your mother wants to kill you and eat your liver, so you run away to live with seven tiny men. Serious medication/chocolate/wine is required to deal with such a story.

When we censor our children's stories to exclude the suffering that is inherent in the human condition, we isolate our children. We create an environment that promotes shame and a belief that they are not good enough because they cannot live up to the standards in these stories.

I'm an English major, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and big fan of animal rescue, so my heart did cartwheels when I heard about "Poetic Dogs."