The Frog Princess - Hardcover

E.D. Baker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439528380 ISBN 13: 9780439528382

Publisher: Scholastic Inc, 2003

Synopsis

Princess Emeralda isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh sounds like a donkey's bray rather than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet more often than she gracefully curtsies, and she hates the young Prince Jorge whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emeralda ever thought to escape from her frustrating life, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! This is a deliciously original and fast-paced fairy tale that turns the tables on the traditional frog-prince story, featuring a fascinating and hilarious cast of characters and starring a witty and unforgettable - princess.

About this title

About the Author:

E.D. Baker makes her international debut with The Frog Princess. Ms. Baker has had many jobs: teacher, parrot caretaker and, currently, as a member of a Red Cross Disaster Action Team. Her true love, however, is writing. E.D. Baker lives in Maryland where she provides a home for three children, two horses, one dog, three cats, one cocatiel, a bunny, and two frogs named, of course, Emma and Eadric.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-An amusing fairy-tale adventure that takes the frog-turned-prince story a little further. Princess Emeralda is incredibly clumsy, she brays like a donkey when she laughs, and she would rather spend time outdoors or learning magic from her witch-aunt Grassina than marry self-centered Prince Jorge. When she runs off to the nearby swamp, she meets "Frog" who, naturally, claims to be an enchanted prince and begs her for a spell-breaking kiss. But when she finally complies, something goes terribly wrong, and suddenly Emma is a green-skinned, pond-hopping frog. She and Eadric spend the rest of the book trying to undo the spells that have bewitched them, struggling to avoid a dragon, a frog-eating dog, and an inept angry witch along the way. When they are finally released from their enchantments, it's clear they will live a happy-if rather unconventional-life together. Baker's characters, especially Emma and Eadric, are more than meets the eye. The tale moves at a good pace, and, though the happy ending is predictable, the trials and tribulations that precede it are interesting. However, it's difficult to determine the book's audience. While the story would appeal to primary to intermediate grade girls, the vocabulary is rather sophisticated and seems to be more suited to young adults. Perhaps it would work best as a read-aloud. For fairy-tale themes more in tune with their specific audiences, turn to Donna Jo Napoli's The Prince of the Pond (Dutton, 1992) for intermediates, and her Zel (Puffin, 1998) or Beast (Atheneum, 2000) for the older crowd.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Inc
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0439528380
• ISBN 13: 9780439528382
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 214