Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Frog Princess - E.D. Baker

Summary: Princess Emeralda's laugh sounds like a donkey's bray rather than tinkling bells, and she trips over her feet more often than she gracefully curtsies. But if Emma ever wished for an escape from her frustrating life, she never expected it to happen by kissing a frog named Prince Eadric! (Summary from book - Image from http://www.a3.vox.com/ - Book from personal collection)

My Review: My daughters and I came upon this book while browsing through my bookshelves, looking for something to read together. They instantly deemed it suitable – after all, it was pink and had the word princess in the title. What else is there, eh?

Emeralda isn’t your standard princess. She’s awkward, imperfect, and a little bit of an outcast. Then one day, while wandering near the swamp in an effort to escape her latest would-be suitor, Emma receives an interesting proposal. I’ll admit that I gravitate to the idea of a princess who isn’t all swoony and prim. Emma’s personality and the love/hate relationship she maintained with Eadric were entertaining, but I was most pleased with the ending which did NOT include either a) a wedding b) an engagement or c) anyone being swept off their feet and driven away from her home, family, and college education. Yay, Emma!

My six-year-old was very interested in the story while my 4-year-old was more the hang-around-the-room-and-color-while-listening type. I wasn’t particularly moved by the story and the characters felt very shallow (hence the rating) but I still felt it was an okay, one-time read.

My Rating: 3.25 Stars. We’ve already started on the next book in the series, Dragon’s Breath. For the sensitive reader: There was a teensy bit too much kissing at the end (for my six and four year old) but it would have been fine for anyone older.

Sum it Up: A froggy fairy tale with a bit of a twist.

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