Now, if you've seen the Disney movie that was supposedly based on this book, then I strongly urge you to read the book. About the only similarities you'll find are that the princess kisses a frog who claims to be a prince and turns into a frog herself. The movie is kind of fun in it's own way, but the book, well, does it surprise you that I like the book better?!
The best thing about Princess Emma is that she's not your typical princess. She doesn't like the prince her parents have picked out for her, she's clumsy, she prefers to be outside rather than in a stuffy castle and her mother has pretty much decided that she's hopeless. Sometimes, she doesn't even want to be a princess. I can relate to this girl! But the best thing about Emma is her sense of humor. This book made us laugh out loud when I read it with my daughter. And he'll never admit it, but my son enjoyed hearing it, too :O)
Once she kisses the frog and the spell doesn't work, Emma and Eadrick are off on an adventure to find the witch who cursed him. They're hoping to reverse their froggy fates and get back to their families, but along the way there's plenty of adventure and fun.
Like many middle grade books, this is the first in a series. The eighth and final book came out this past fall. The four I've read in the series have all been funny, lighthearted and great to read with any age. Unlike some series' that tend to get darker as they go along, the characters in Tales of the Frog Princess maintain their playful spirits and the stories are nothing but fun. Even for someone who doesn't care for princesses.
Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade books? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Joanne Fritz
14 comments:
Why are fairy tale rewritings so popular? I have the pull to write them but I never follow it. I'm scared it's just the draw of an already having a character and a story to play with. I enjoy reading them if the twist is good enough. I'm getting a little tired of all the Cinderella retellings though.
I've heard of this book before...maybe I need to go look for it.
I never wanted to be a princess either; I was such a tomboy! But this sounds really cute!
Poor misjudged princesses! They can have such good stories if you give them a chance. When I picked up Princess Academy by Shannon Hale several years ago, I had my doubts about it. But I learned that it is a mistake to judge a book based on the word "princess." All of Shannon Hale's princess stories are amazing reads.
I haven't read the Frog Princess or any of the others in that series. I'll have to put them on my list.
Oh, I haven't read this one. My daughter and I will love it! :-)
Oh, that sounds fun. I love to hear when a story appeals to both girls and boys. That's the sign of a good storyteller.
Yep, the pink and "princess" are immediate turn-offs to my tomboy nature, but it sounds like a great read. Thanks for the recommendation!
I"m so glad you gave this review. I've seen this book and wondered if it was worth picking up. I've read so many fairytale-ish type books sometimes they tend to be mostly the same. I'm always up for a book like that.
:0)
I second your recommendation! It's such a fun series.
Like you and many others who have commented, pink and frills and princess aren't all that attractive. I've walked past this book at the library a few times, but now I may have to give it a go.
a non princess-y princess? sounds fun!
I, too, have walked by these books for years and never read them. I admit the pink princessy thing never appealed to me. But you make this one sound awesome, Sherrie! Nice review.
And thanks, as always, for the linkage.
hi miss sherrie! pink! ack! princess. ack! ha ha. sounds pretty girly. ack! i could probably read it but for sure its not going at the top of my wanna read list.
...hugs from lenny
This one looks so fun and right up my alley! I like nonconforming princess stories.
Thanks for sharing, Sherrie! Hugs!
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