The Frog Prince
Intricate, gloriously lush illustrations highlight this retelling of the familiar tale. Wargin has preserved much of the tone of the original text while editing the length to make it more palatable for younger audiences. Gilbert perfectly captures the princess' conflicting emotions as she struggles with her revulsion for the frog even as she acknowledges that she must fulfill her end of the bargain. Visual elements emphasize particular story details. The text is printed in a lovely deep green, matching the frog theme, for instance. The brevity of the text makes for some abrupt transitions. Readers may wonder at the sudden appearance of the prince's servant, Faithful Henry, for example. And there will certainly be questions about why the witchy princess, who throws the frog at a wall, deserves him when he is revealed as a prince, but this does conform to the original Grimm brothers story. Carton, Debbie