A modern day fairy tale for grown up girls, is the subtitle. This is a very short book so I can recommend it to anyone who likes a quick read, or who needs a lift of inspiration if their day isn't going well, or who just enjoys fairytales.
A young Princess has been dumped by her supposed Prince Charming and mopes in her room. While the setting is medieval we can easily transpose the characters to modern life and modern teenagers. The girl's fairy godmother appears, as in all the best fairytales, but on this occasion she gives the girl a sewn leather frog. This toy frog has a pouch into which the girl is to put notes of her choices.
Disgusted by this non-answer to her heartbreak, the Princess at first tosses the frog on the floor. But the next charming prince turns out to have a handsome carriage but a wandering eye, so the princess starts to make a list of all that a prince should be. She stores the notes in the frog as recommended. The handsome, valiant courtiers she next meets are either boring braggarts or have wandering hands and don't treat her with respect - more for the list! Seeing through young men encourages the girl to go out and get on with having fun, either on her own or with girlfriends, dancing, skating and doing sporty things, until the frog has shown the girl what her life can be without needing to have a boyfriend to depend upon for happiness.
This is a funny, lively little tale from Kym Petrie which may be just right to give a young adult girl you know for a present. Make sure to read it yourself as well, whatever your age and tell yourself how great you really are.
