Dragon's Breath (Tales of the Frog Princess)
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 LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.