Frogged

by Vivan Vande Velde, published 2013

“Either the witch would be reasonable, or she would not. Imogene had read enough fairy tales to worry that a royal decree on the matter was less likely to soften the witch’s heart and more likely to make her stubborn.”

If you are looking for a fun, light-weight summer children’s book, one to take on a trip, this new book is a good choice. It’s a silly little take-off on the princess-kissed-frog story, with amusing and sometimes dangerous twists of the plot. The main character Imogene is a very likeable princess-turned-frog, and there are a variety of other characters, some nice, some not so nice.

I like the way the story keeps up its pace, although it probably could have ended a little sooner than it did, as it started to drag just a bit as we waited for the happy ending. It’s a children’s book best read by 9 to 12-year-olds.  I wouldn’t recommend it for younger than 8, as it is a slightly scary theme as the girls are held onto by a shady, roving circus troupe. But there’s no real violence or darkness, and there’s always a humorous moment to lighten the tension when it gets too entangled. Is there a moral? Well…maybe more a warning about being careful who you run after. A good lesson for early pre-teens who may get carried away with their infatuations, and hopefully manage to come out more or less unscathed.

(As of this review, this children’s book is not yet out in paperback, but it probably will be soon.)
Find this at your local bookstore