The Frog Princess

Would it surprise you if I told you that I read this just because I felt like it? No? Good. That means you know my reading style well! I love Middle Grade, I love fairy tales, and I can't resist anything that has a princess involved, so this book was something perfect for a quick read.

I loved the fact that Princess Emeralda was a "I can do it myself" kind of girl, and that situations allowed her to do just that. I also very much appreciated the adorable twist that E.D. Baker put on the whole frog prince story, while still staying true to the feeling of the original. This was a sweet, quick read that was a lot of fun to listen to. It was just exciting enough, without being too scary, and actually really well paced. It helps, of course, show more that Katherine Kellgren narrates this audio book. I adore her voice, and this was no exception.

To the surprise of no one, I didn't really love the prince. He was whiny, mostly self-centered, and rough to like. I suppose it was good that he was though, because his inability to really be front and center during any big moments made Emeralda shine! Still, that meant the romance didn't really work out for me, even though I knew it was the whole point of this fairy tale. I know this is Middle Grade, but I still maintain that a princess has every right to be picky! No one wants a whiny prince. *wink*

Overall, this was a cute read with a lot of fun parts in it. This would be excellent for a bedtime read between parents and their kids! show less

Fun bit of fluff. Emma is amusing; Eadric is rather annoying, I'm not seeing the sweet bits Emma does. He's either as arrogant as Jorge or trying to protect her against her wishes - or demanding a(nother) kiss. Maybe he'll settle down in the later books (he is about her age, I think, so silly is a given, for both of them). The spell mess is rather clever, precisely because it's so simple. Haywood is...rather convenient, but it's nice. Fun enough that I want to read the next book, though 8 books in the series may be too much in one go.

Story seems to consist of a dumb frog prince getting the smart and good princess into trouble and her using the friends she meets on the way to get them out of it, again and again. The characters show little depth in their actions; their only flaws are the ones the author first tells us about, and then hits us over the head with constantly. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone looking for a complex read or good world-building. This is strictly a fluff read for girls that crave formulaic fantasy. Ages 8 to 10.

The Frog Princess by E.D Baker is a humorous reworking of Grimms' "The Frog Prince"; it is also the inspiration for The Princess and the Frog released by the Walt Disney Company.

Princess Emeralda (aka Emma) has no interest in marrying Prince Jorge in an arranged marriage. She would rather spend time mapping and exploring the swamp behind the castle. It's there that she meets a talking frog who listens to her problems. Eventually she gives in to his request to kiss him — knowing full well that some local witches use animal transformations as a means of removing annoying people from their lives. The usual solution is a kiss from a princess.

Now anyone who has watched The Princess and Frog knows that the kiss backfires. The reason given show more in the film is that the main character isn't a princess. The explanation in the book is fuzzier — whatever witch did the spell didn't follow the standard playbook.

Rather than have two competing sources of magic — Mama Otis for good magic and the Shadow Man for evil magic — there is instead, any number of witches working magic in and near the swamp. These witches don't align themselves as neatly as they do in Disney films, meaning that finding witch and the proper solution to her spell isn't as cut and dry.

Again, fans of the film will recognize a similar path of exploration through the castle swamp as through the bayou. The reasons, though, are completely different and there's no artificially imposed timeline. On the one hand, Emma and Eadric have more chances to make mistakes and take wrong turns. On the other hand, sometimes these scenes feel like padding.

That said, the complicated plot threads as well as a world of problems that extends beyond the initial trouble of an arranged marriage and being turned into a frog, gives Emma and Eadric more things to explore at the end of the book without the tidy Disney magical ending.

The second book in the series is Dragon's Breath and it is on my to be read list. There are eight books in total. show less

This is a cute book. I can see why it is still popular and why it spawned so many sequels. There is something about fairytales that we are drawn to. There's always a conflict. There's always a villain and a hero.There's often magic and fairies. Most of us get a version that's close to the original in childhood and there's something that compels us to the modified version when we get older.

This version of the Frog Prince is filled with humor. I've learned that kids gravitate toward books that make them laugh. Both the princess and the prince are strong-headed and quite sarcastic with one another. Emeralda is not a typical princess. She prefers to be outside and has no interest in marrying the egotistical Prince Jorge who her mom has show more picked out for her. It's while avoiding Prince Jorge that she ends up in the swamp and meets a talking frog. He eventually convinces her to kiss him so he will undo a witch's curse. As bad luck would have it, instead of Prince Eadric turning back into a prince, Emma turns into a frog. Since the antidote failed, they need to find the witch who cast the spell. Instead they are captured by a different witch and end up together in a cage waiting to have their tongues and toes cut off. They must figure out a way to save themselves and the other animals caged by the witch, as well as turn themselves back into humans.

The Frog Prince was never one of my favorite fairytales, and that may be influencing my rating. All in all, this version is probably about as good as it's ever going to get. show less

Clumsy Princess Emeralda will do anything to escape an arranged marriage – even kiss an enchanted frog prince – but when that kiss turns her into a frog too, she must team up with the frog to find a way to turn them both into humans again. This fractured fairy tale incorporates many clever twists on classic fairy tales, and its humorous mix of allusions coupled with likeable leads and snappy dialogue make for a lighthearted romantic comedy. Readers will certainly be rooting for the happily-ever-after ending, which comes, as expected, with a twist. Sadly, this novel’s strong beginning and ending are somewhat compromised by a rambling middle that take our heroes far from home, quite unnecessarily we soon learn. While perhaps not the show more strongest offering in the fractured fairy-tale genre, readers who have enjoyed Kaye’s The Ordinary Princess, Ferris’ Once Upon a Marigold or Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles may still wish to check out this title. Recommended for readers ages 8 to 12, though older lovers of fairy tales may enjoy it too. show less

OMG this was so cute. I loved the Disney movie The Princess and The Frog, so when I saw this I had to give it a go. I enjoyed reading the tale of Princess Emeralda or better known as Emma. Emma who is not your typical princess and who is always clumsy. One day she is told that she is now engaged to a prince that loves himself more than he loves others. Not wishing to marry a vain prince Emma decides run away to her favourite place by the swamp. In the swamp she meets a talking toad. This toad claims to be the lost prince Eadric. He tells her that he has been cursed by an old witch and that he needs a princess to kiss him to return back into a frog. So Emma kisses him and then promptly turns in a frog herself. With the help from a flurry show more of various animals. Emma and Eadric go on a adventure to find a way to turn them both back into humans.

This story has everything a classic fairy-tale should have, witches, fairies and lots of magic. I adored the writing style and the humour of this adorable tale. show less