The Frog Princess [Hardcover]

J. Patrick Lewis (Author), Gennady Spirin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

This famous story tells of a great tsar, his three sons, and a wise princess. The tsar orders each of his sons to shoot an arrow as far as he can. The woman who finds it will be that son's bride. In what seems a cruel twist of fate, the tsar's youngest son finds his arrow held in the mouth of a little green frog. Full-color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spirin's ( The Children of Lir ) sumptuous art is reason alone to celebrate this volume, but the text is every bit as rich. Working from a Russian folktale, Lewis ( A Hippopotomusn't ) fashions a complex story out of a multitude of fairy-tale elements. A czar commands each of his three sons to shoot an arrow into the woods and marry the woman who retrieves it; while the elder brothers find important, wealthy maidens, Ivan, the youngest, is forced to marry a small frog. But Ivan's bride soon reveals herself to be Vasilisa the Wise, under a curse from her evil father. Determined to keep her in human form, Ivan burns her frog skin. As a result she is transformed into a swan and flies off to a Kingdom beyond Blue Kingdoms, from which Ivan must rescue her. Her perilous journey, during which she is aided by such unlikely creatures as a bear, a falcon, a pike and the infamous Baba Yaga, forms the second half of the narrative. Lewis, admirably, summons enough flair to link the numerous motifs. Spirin's minutely detailed portraits adorn each page, highlighting every flounce, every furbelow of the characters' court clothing; and he frames boxes of text with full-bleed paintings that resemble embroidered and bejeweled fabrics. That Spirin can use four-color art to create the effect of lustrous gold ink is further proof that he has the talents of an alchemist. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-"Once long ago in a faraway kingdom, there lived a great tsar who had three sons." When the time comes for his sons to marry, their father instructs them to string their bows and shoot arrows "as far as you can into the heart of Russia. Whoever finds your arrow shall be your bride." While the two elder sons find perfectly conventional wives, the arrow of the youngest, Prince Ivan, is found in the mouth of a small green frog. Despite his dismay with his fate, he does marry her and discovers that she is really quite talented. She is, in fact, the renowned and beautiful Vasilisa the Wise, who has been placed under enchantment by her jealous father. In classic fairy-tale fashion, Ivan foolishly burns his wife's frog skin, thereby banishing her to the land of the evil Koshchei the Invincible. In his quest to rescue Vasilisa, he encounters Baba Yaga who, in this story, actually lends a helping hand, and a series of animals who prove to be the key to solving the riddle that will save his bride. Lewis's retelling of this complex Russian tale is smooth and easy, lightened by touches of humor, and with only a minor lapse in continuity marring the narrative flow. Spirin creates an appropriately misty and romantic world, so well suited to a classic tale. His watercolors are rich in color and detail, picturing the sumptuous interiors and snowy landscapes. A fine addition to any folklore collection.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 10, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803716230
• ISBN-13: 978-0803716230
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully illustrated escape from reality, June 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Frog Princess (Hardcover)

I collect fairy tales and folk tales for their illustration. This is the best book I've found for beautiful, intricate artwork

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully illustrated fairy tale, October 14, 2003

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Frog Princess (Hardcover)

My husband and I both read this to our boys without the other knowing it. We later commented on the fact that it's our favorite fairy tale. The pictures are beautifully-illustrated and with fine details. The story itself is beautifully-written and entertaining for our little boys. It is a keeper in our collection!

The Czar orders his three sons to shoot an arrow and whoever is holding it wherever it landed will be that son's bride. The youngest got stuck with a talking frog. He was rather disappointed, but his bride wasn't who he thought she was. Because of his ineptness, he lost her and had to find her again. The basic moral of this story is true love always prevails. And it's a neat fairy tale ~~ a readaption of the ancient Russian folklore.

If you are interested in having your children learn more about different cultures and their stories, this is a good place to start. With beautiful illustrations and a lovely story, your children will be entertained just as you will be.

10-15-03

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Gennady Spirin, please, March 29, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Frog Princess (Hardcover)

I just can't look away from these illustrations. The fabrics. The swan feathers. The tree bark. The frog skin. The chicken feet under Baba Yaga's house. The skeletal Kostchei. The impossible perfection of each page.

This is a LONG Russian fairy tale -- don't let Gramma get wheedled into reading it at bedtime. It's at least a half-hour story. It's a keeper.