I picked this one up on Monday when I was bored out of my mind. I couldn't go to the book store that morning, and I had this book just sitting in my closet. I remembered how much I had adored this series when I was a little kid, so I picked up the book and began to read. Princess Emeralda (Emma for short) is the princess, and sole heir, of her kingdom, Greater Greensward. Emma is no normal princess, and she would much rather spend time in the swamp that's right next to her castle than doting on dresses and hairstyles. Her mother often tries to primp her and create a perfect princess, so Emma spends far more time with her Aunt Grassina than her mother. Her Aunt Grassina is the Green Witch, the most powerful and kindest witch in the kingdom. Grassina loves to spend time with Emma, always encouraging Emma to use her magic, though Emma isn't very good, so she doesn't practice very often.Always trying to make her daughter into a "proper princess," she invites Prince Jorge of East Aridia to visit the castle for a day to give Emma some royal company. Emma heads to the swamp to avoid the awkward encounter. Upon entering the swamp, Emma encounters a talking frog who claims to be Prince Eadric of Upper Montevista. He tells her that a witch turned him into a frog and that the only way to return to his princely state is to receive a kiss from a princess. After constant badgering, she finally agrees, and kisses Eadric. But rather than Eadric becoming Human, when Emma opens her eyes, she has become a frog.From there, Emma and Eadric must figure out how to return to their human forms, making a few animal friends along the way.I found Emma to be a very annoying main character in this book. She was fairly whiny, though not the whole time (thank goodness). She could have been a lot more agitating, but she also could have been a LOT better. Oh well. However annoying the main character was, it still wasn't a bad children's story. One of the best things about reading children's fiction is that there's no cursing, so it was very clean in addition to the fact that the story line wasn't bad. It was a little cliche with the whole "frog princess" thing, but it still had an original plot and it wasn't a bad read.Either way, it wasn't bad for nostalgia purpose (a fun re-surfacing of my childhood), and it also had a story line that was interesting enough to make me read the sequels.
I like children's books and I am not even going to invent an excuse for reading this one. I read it because I wanted to. There.I read it because I wanted to read a story about a princess who kisses a frog. Things went slighlty wrong and the frog prince didn't turn into a human prince, instead the princess turn into a frog.And then they have a lot of adventures and epiphanies.I liked how the frog prince was bent on saving and protecting the princess but somehow was always either asleep or not around when the danger struck, and the princess had to take care of herself (Bella, you look and learn). There was a lot of humour in the book (a pretend witch was called Vannabe) and no one was exceptionally pretty, people were short, had big noses, etc. And definitely no one sparkled in the sun.On the other hand, there was a lot of bestiality in this book. I mean, human on frog action, then human and otter, there was also a hint of frog on snake thing. Apart from that, there was a prince who liked wearing women's shoes and apparently had really small feet (wink, wink). My, oh, my, just what exactly are we teaching our children?(Don't get me started on the naked nymph).
What do You think about The Frog Princess (2004)?
So, apparently The Frog Princess inspired the Disney film The Princess and the Frog. By “inspired,” I mean that Disney took the idea of the girl who kisses the frog turning into a frog (instead of the frog turning into a prince) and that’s pretty much it. The two really aren’t alike at all except for that.I really enjoyed the twist of the kiss turning the girl/princess into a frog. It’s original, a great departure from the modern “Frog Prince” stories (interestingly enough, the original fairy tale had the frog turn back into a prince after the princess throws it against the wall, not through her kissing it), and is quite frankly a lot more interesting. It also allows more room for the princess to get involved in the action.The characters were fresh (as in refreshing, not saucy) and funny and the world, though familiar in its magic and creatures, was not so familiar as to be boring or unoriginal. I loved the bat Li’l and the snake Fang; really, all the creatures Emma and Eadric run into are great.While this is a stand-alone book, there are apparently a lot more books in the series and I’m looking forward to seeing where Baker takes Emma and Eadric next.
—Elizabeth
Do you like fantasy books? Or do you like adventure books? In this book by E.D Baker, you will find many adventures and magic in there. You could also find,dragon,witches, trolls and other things that has to do with magic and mythical creatures. In this book Princess Emeralda whose wasn't like any other princesses, her laugh is like a donkey and she is not as beautiful as other princesses. Sometimes in the story there might be chapters that are funny and that you will enjoy a lot! Emeralda was turn into a frog when she kissed a frog who said that he is a prince. So Emeralda set out to find the spell that will change her back into a human. I think that this book is a really good book that people who like adventures and fantasy stuffs could enjoy!
—Susan Chen
This would be perfect for a younger reader. Its a fun take on a traditional fairy tale, and Baker has a fun sense of humor. It would definitely be great for 8 years up and older, as the tone is pretty innocent. I would also recommend it to people who are fans of Ella Enchanted, where the fairy tale is turned on its head in a way that makes the girl more active in the story.I think I hit this one a little late, which is why its three stars for me, but I would definitely give it to a younger reader, or someone who really loves reinvented fairy tales.
—Ms. Library
