The Frog Prince (Hardcover)

by J. Grimm (Author), Binette Schroeder (Illustrator) "Once, in olden times, when wishes still had power, there lived a king..." (more)
Key Phrases: golden ball

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This oversize edition treats the classic tale to a graceful translation and eerily haunting illustrations. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2 Up-- In Lewis' translation of the familiar Grimm tale, a beautiful princess promises to let a frog live with her and be her "special friend" if he will retrieve her golden ball lost at the bottom of a well. Then, thinking he can never demand payment, she callously abandons both him and her promise. Later, when the frog appears at her door, insisting to sit at her table and sleep in her bed, she is repulsed and, in a fit of rage, throws him against a wall. It is this act of violence that breaks an evil enchantment and transforms the ugly frog into a handsome prince. Although certain events in the story are compressed and unexplained, the text reads clearly and gracefully. Lewis brings a feeling of inevitability to her telling that makes the loose ends less troubling. She also fleshes out the characters slightly, providing a degree of motivation and sympathy for the usually unlikable princess. But it is Schroeder's illustrations that make this book remarkable. Her muted, misty pictures, filled with bizarre and disturbing elements, convey a strong and appropriate sense of the fantastic. Using a "freeze frame" technique reminiscent of cine ma stills, Schroeder is able to isolate individual moments of action, while at the same time pulling viewers into and through the entire event. This technique is especially effective in detailing the pain and horror of the prince's transition and adds depth to an often superficial story. The touch of humor that immediately follows this dramatic scene, when the prince (still dressed in green) "hops" into the princess' bed, adds a bit of charm to the tale. Libraries looking for a more standard version of the story may prefer Isadora's The Princess and the Frog (Greenwillow, 1989), but for fascinating illustration that beckons the eye and engages that necessary "suspension of disbelief," this one can't be beat. --Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South (September 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558580158
• ISBN-13: 978-1558580152
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,662,744 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #64 in

  Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Fairy Tales & Folk Tales > Frog Prince

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful teamwork for my son and me, September 17, 2002

By	James LeMay (Lake Forest, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Frog Prince (We Both Read) (Hardcover)

I think this "We Both Read" series is great. Whatever mood my boy is in when bedtime rolls around - whether he's working with me or against me - this concept works. I read the (difficult) left page in each two page spread, and the child reads the (easy) right. Teamwork. And even though these make no mention of Power Rangers or Batman Beyond, these are my boy's favorites. Along with some math books from Singapore(sgbox.com), and a learn-to-read series called "Now I'm Reading" by Nora Gaydos, these books are a great experience for your child. After your child has finished reading and they climb in bed, give your child something to strive for... turn on your booklight, turn off the room lights, and read your child a chapter or two from a more advanced book. Treasure Island, Harry Potter, anything by Roald Dahl... That's what works for my boys and I.

5.0 out of 5 stars a simple idea, with a touch of genius in it, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Frog Prince (We Both Read) (Hardcover)

This series of readers really works. I've been running through them at bedtime with my six-year-old, who adores taking it in turns with me to read her page after I've read mine. It turns reading into a collaborative game, with plenty of play-acting (doing the different voices of the characters) thrown in. At my daughter's stage of reading, a short book can be a long haul, when she has to do it all by herself. The "We Both Read" books break up the text into manageable segments, and give her time-out while I do my share of the work. I'd like to see more and more titles quickly added to the series. I am baffled as to why Amazon should inflict a $1.35 surcharge on the publisher's recommended price--it seems to run entirely counter to the Amazon way of doing things. But the books themselves are splendid.