Dragon's Breath (Tales of the Frog Princess) [Hardcover]

E. D. Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2003 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Tales of the Frog Princess

Emma and Eadric have no sooner turned back into humans (from being frogs) than Emma's mother is in a panic, Aunt Grassina is distracted because she's found her true love turned into an otter, and Emma's magic is so out of control she sends herself to the dungeon by mistake. The neighboring kingdom has chosen this moment to attack, and if Emma can't get Grassina's mind back on protecting the kingdom, life as they know it in Greater Greensward will be in peril. From underwater sea monsters to fire-breathing dragons, this witty pair of young friends manages to sweet-talk, cajole, and race their way to victory. But when it looks as if everything will finally work out, disaster strikes, and Emma finds that magic is not enough-it takes real bravery and a strong, new friendship to succeed.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Quests, tests, hearts won and broken, encounters with dragons, and plenty of magic animate this breezy sequel to The Frog Princess (Bloomsbury, 2003). When evil hag Olivene not only refuses to change good witch Grassina's heartthrob Haywood back from being an otter, but also dispatches him to parts unknown, young witch-in-training Princess Emeralda (Emma) and formerly enchanted Prince Eadric are charged with gathering the ingredients needed for a curse-lifting potion: "A gossamer hair from mother-of-pearl,/The breath of a dragon green./A feather from an aged horse,/The husk of a magic bean." Nothing turns out to be quite what it seems-and thanks to a previous curse, the questors switch between human and frog whenever Emma sneezes. Oh, and the kingdom of Greater Greensward is also about to be invaded by the army of Emma's snotty ex-suitor, Prince Jorge. Eadric's focus on food, flirting, and fighting (exactly in that order) still makes him something of a male caricature, but at least he's brave and decent-hearted. As tasty as its prequel, this romantic confection ends with several ingenious twists and the possibility of further adventures. A treat for fans of Gail Carson Levine's books.
John Peters, New York Public Library
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About the Author

E. D. Baker is the author of The Tales of the Frog Princess series, including The Frog Princess, which was in part the inspiration for a new Disney movie which will be released this fall (The Princess and the Frog). Baker is also the author of Wings: A Fairy Tale. She lives with her family and many pets in Maryland.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (October 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582348588
• ISBN-13: 978-1582348582
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

E. D. Baker made her international debut with The Frog Princess, which was a Book Sense Children's Pick and has sold in many languages around the world. Since then she has written four other books in the series: Dragon's Breath, Once Upon a Curse, No Place for Magic and The Salamander Spell, as well as Wings: A Fairy Tale, a new look at the classic Midsummernight's Dream story. A mother of three and grandmother of one, Ms. Baker lives in Maryland, where she and her daughters breed horses and provide a home for five cats, three dogs, and three goats. www.edbakerbooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review of Dragon's Breath - it's great!, March 8, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dragon's Breath (Tales of the Frog Princess) (Hardcover)

Dragon's Breath is the spectacular sequel to The Frog Princess written by E.D. Baker. The main characters are Princess Emma, her mother, Grassina (Emma's aunt), Prince Eadric, and Emma's grandmother. There are also many settings, just to name a few; Emma's castle, the swamp, a sea inside a little fish bowl, a town inside a picture, and the dragon Olympics.
In The Frog Princess, the clumsy Princess Emeralda (Emma for short) runs to the swamp so she won't have to meet her spouse- to- be, Prince Jorge. In the swamp she meets Eadric, a prince turned into a frog. She kisses Eadric so he will turn into a prince again, or so he says, but instead of him turning back into a prince Emma turns into a frog! In the end both Emma and Eadric returned back to their normal selves with a little help from their animal friends.
Dragon's Breath picks up after they have been turned back to their normal selves. Emma and Eadric's second adventure starts when her aunt Grassina asks them to look for four things for a spell, "a gossamer hair from mother-of-pearl, the breath of a dragon green, a feather from an aged horse, and the husk of a magic bean". She wants these things because she fell in love with a man her mother did not approve of, who than turned him into an otter. Incidentally, Grassina, her mother, and Emma are all witches. Grassina must have all those things before time runs out, and her boyfriend forgets he's a human. So Eadric and Emma go to some pretty strange places to look for them. To top it all off, Emma's country is having a war with their neighboring country over the fact that Emma won't marry Prince Jorge and therefore not giving him half of her lands.
I think anyone who loves animals will love this book! It has a great adventure and lots of animals to help Emma and Eadric. Also, Emma's spells contain some interesting language. Here's an example: "You don't want us in your belly. We'll taste bad like stinging jelly. Turn around and head straight back. We would make a lousy snack." In some of her other spells there are more similes. I liked this book so much I read it in about two to three days. One thing that I like about the book is that the main character is named Emma just like me! I really hope I have convinced you to read Dragon's Breath but here is one idea, you might want to read The Frog Princess first. Happy Reading!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sequel to the Frog Princess, July 31, 2004

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dragon's Breath (Tales of the Frog Princess) (Hardcover)

The novel is a sequel to the "Frog Princess," and that novel should be read first to understand the characters. Princess Emeralda, her friend Prince Eadric, and her aunt Grassina (the Green Witch) discover the ingredients needed to reverse the spell that turned the man Grassina loved into an otter. The problem is the fact that the spell requires a hair from mother-of-pearl, the husk of a magic bean, a horse feather, and the breath of a green dragon. Most of the novel deals with the adventures of Emeralda and Eadric as they go on a quest seeking the items. Along the way they acquire some dragon friends. And they need to hurry, as the army of an adjoining kingdom is preparing to invade the country.

The events come out a little different than planned. Grassina is not entirely sure she still wants Haywood whom she has not seen in human form for 20 years. Emeralda's grandmother is interferring, as she has never thought Haywood was good enough for Grassina - the reason she turned him into an otter. Things become complicated because some spells have hidden features that are unknown until activated. Also, you do have to be careful what you wish for, or you may get unwanted results.

As usual with fairy tales, the hero or heroine (in this case) prevail in the end.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the average fairy tale!, January 2, 2004

By 

Katrina K. Eder (Onsted, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon's Breath (Tales of the Frog Princess) (Hardcover)

One of the best fantasy books I've ever read, Dragons Breath has adventure with dragons, singing swords, ghosts and curses, which sets it apart from your average fairy tale with the fairy godmother, the price always saving the princess and slaying the dragon. It keeps you on your toes and makes you laugh. Once you start reading it, you won't want to stop! If you liked The Frog princess you'll love Dragons Breath!