Comments on: REVIEW: The Frog Princess (Book One of Tales of the Frog Princess) by E.D. Baker

By: Aldona

Aldona — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:12:21 +0000

Yes I know you did, as you said in your review :] But no I didn’t read any of the sequels. I might though, I was just thinking about it recently.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:10:15 +0000

Aldona, I kinda thought it might be more geared towards younger readers. Did you ever read any of the sequels?

By: Aldona

Aldona — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:46:05 +0000

Ahah. I read this book when I was in grade 5. I liked it, I even found myself smiling during the book. I guess it is more of an elementary read and enjoyable to younger kids, since they might not focus too much on those missed details you spoke about. Since I haven’t read it in a while I can’t really say much just that it was a cute story. I’m thinking of rereading it now just to see it in a different perspective but after this review I’m worried it might ruin my past thoughts about it.

By: SonomaLass

SonomaLass — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:42:40 +0000

My kids' favorite for re-told fairy tales was always John Scieszka author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. The Frog Prince, Continued is quite clever, as I recall. Mostly for younger readers, but then when they're older, they can read his Time Warp Trio series!

By: Susan/DC

Susan/DC — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:26:33 +0000

My first thought was that this reminded me of “The Prince of the Pond”, a children’s book by Donna Jo Napoli. That book is written from the POV of the female frog who falls in love with the prince in his frog form. It’s both hysterically funny and quite a sweet love story as well. In fact, I’ve read adult romances with less successfully drawn relationships. My boys and I both loved it.

http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Pond-Otherwise-Known-Fawg/dp/0140371516/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229023297&sr=8-1

By: votermom

votermom — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:09:31 +0000

My 11yo reads to me! When she gets excited about what she’s reading she’ll say “listen to this Mom!”
(And I am very proud of my self-restraint when she was reading me excerpts from Twilight …. can’t stand them but as former B. Cartland fan I guess I have no room to condescend.)

By: JulieLeto

JulieLeto — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:32:39 +0000

Poor kid doesn’t have a choice.

You’ll be very happy to know that I went to my daughter’s class for the National Teach-In. It was the first time I’d done it and the questions from her classmates were incredibly thoughtful and intelligent…just the same questions as adults ask at appearances, frankly.

I believe that readers are made in elementary school, but lost in middle school and high school when they are forced to read the classics and have no time to read for fun. I refuse to let this happen to my child, but I know it’s an issue that all parents who are readers need to be aware of and do the best to combat.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:40:20 +0000

as she read that one on her own

Brava! I love to hear about a book reading woman in the making.

By: JulieLeto

JulieLeto — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:34:29 +0000

I didn’t read the second book myself, as she read that one on her own, but from our discussions, it wasn’t that particular vial that helped them out in the next book, but the fact that they had it gave them information they needed to get the breath of a blue dragon, which they needed to undo something to do with Grassina and her boyfriend the otter. Dragons as creatures play a big role in the second book, whereas the little bat is hardly in it at all. Also, the prince who Emma spurned in the first book comes back in as his father declares war against Emma’s father. So there’s a lot going on.

And I agree…the covers are great. Simple, but pretty and eye-catching.

Right now, my daughter is reading 39 CLUES. It’s a whole multi-media blitz type book experience…books, trading cards, interactive website. She loved the first book (which surrounds a mystery set in Paris) and she just started the second book last week. So far, male authors. I try to get her to read as many women as possible, LOL!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:55:37 +0000

There are a lot of juvenile and YA books that we both read and enjoyed -’ off the top of my head I can think of The Tamora Pierce Alanna books, Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books, Gail Carson Levine's Princess Tales and her other fairytale books (though not so much the Tinkerbell ones).

Thanks for the recs, votermom. Children’s books are a guilty pleasure of mine as evidenced by the huge stack of them I bought over the years just for me.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:51:23 +0000

My daughter read the second book, DRAGON'S BREATH, on her own (she's now in fifth grade) and loved it as well. We own ONCE UPON A CURSE, but it's hard for her to read for fun when she's in school because of homework (which is really sad to say while someone is in elementary school, but that's the way it is.)

Julie, is something actually done with the vial of dragon's breath in that story? It was just such a neat detail in the story and I hated to see it go unused - basically.

I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but if anyone out there has a girl in the 3-5 grade, I think these books are really clever and fun, with a very strong heroine who is learning how to find her own power, both magically and personally. And her relationship with Eadric is totally healthy. I love that she doesn't choose the most handsome prince, but the one who treats her like an equal.

I also liked that Eadric wasn't the proverbial handsome prince. I tried to allude to this with my statement that each grew to see beneath the surface. I guess I didn't make it clear enough. I'm glad your daughter is enjoying the series. I almost hated not to be able to buy the other books since they have such nice covers but I don't have enough of a book budget to buy books just for that reason alone. ;)

By: votermom

votermom — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:33:04 +0000

My daughter read this and at least 4 sequels a year ago when she was 10, and she found them funny and exciting. I wasn’t able to finish reading the first book though; I just lost interest. I would agree with your review. Fun for kids.

There are a lot of juvenile and YA books that we both read and enjoyed — off the top of my head I can think of The Tamora Pierce Alanna books, Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart books, Gail Carson Levine’s Princess Tales and her other fairytale books (though not so much the Tinkerbell ones).

By: JulieLeto

JulieLeto — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:21:47 +0000

My daughter was in third grade when she read this with me. We loved it! I’d definitely have given it a B+. I found Emma to be a great heroine, struggling with her identity and her abilities as a witch. Loved Eadric’s sense of humor, too. He’s such a guy. My daughter read the second book, DRAGON’S BREATH, on her own (she’s now in fifth grade) and loved it as well. We own ONCE UPON A CURSE, but it’s hard for her to read for fun when she’s in school because of homework (which is really sad to say while someone is in elementary school, but that’s the way it is.)

I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, but if anyone out there has a girl in the 3-5 grade, I think these books are really clever and fun, with a very strong heroine who is learning how to find her own power, both magically and personally. And her relationship with Eadric is totally healthy. I love that she doesn’t choose the most handsome prince, but the one who treats her like an equal.