Prog Frince: A Mixed-Up Tale

When a little girl discovers a talking frog in her pocket, he tells her the enchanting love story between a stable girl and a prince, but before he reveals the ending, he hops away, and the girl chases after him, but when he disappears down a hole, an amazing and rollicking adventure ensues.

Grade 2-4-This story within a story fractures "The Frog Prince" tale. On her way to buy muffins, Jane meets a talking frog when he jumps into her pocket and takes her dime. In order to get her money back, the child has to listen to his story, which concerns a prince who loves Jaylee, a stable girl; and his father, the king, who is determined to marry his son to royalty. Amid a number of twists and turns, the king gives his son an anti-love potion, but it backfires, transforming him into a frog. Jaylee also tastes the brew, which causes her to lose her imagination. Eventually, Jane turns into Jaylee, the frog becomes the prince, and the two share a kiss. Although Lamm has a nice way with words, children not grounded in the original story may be confused and even those who know the tale may puzzle over the turn of events and their outcome. McClintock's soft watercolors, a mixture of sprightly small vignettes, half- and three-quarter page spreads, and full-page depictions, are expressively executed and the artist creates a pleasing, old-world ambience. They don't, however, compensate for the somewhat slight story. Suggested for libraries in which many variations of folktales are in demand.
Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The fairy tale of the prince-turned-frog undergoes a transformation of its own in Lamm (Sea Lion Roars) and McClintock's (The Gingerbread Man) playful treatment. Jane, a literal-minded girl with no use for "made-up" stories, wakes up with a craving for muffins. As she goes to the bakery, her dime is stolen by a talking frog. The outraged Jane, figuring that there may be "something about frogs that she had not learned in school," finds herself agreeing to hear him tell the story of the "Frog Prince" (or, as Jane, who is more mixed-up than she yet knows, calls it, "the Prog Frince"). The frog recounts a wholesome romance between Jaylee, the king's stable girl, and the prince. Their love is halted when the king procures an anti-love potion that not only turns his son into a frog but robs Jaylee of her imagination. The two strands of the narrative plait themselves together as Jane gradually realizes she is the once-merry Jaylee. The writing is graceful, and McClintock does it immeasurable service in creating a classic English setting, a child's version of Jane Austen country. The cobblestoned village and shuttered cottages are ballast against the quirky opening passages, and skillful use of vignettes and spot art fills the pages with motion. The moralizing message about the need for make-believe impedes the book's charm only slightly; otherwise it's a sure pleaser. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This urbane take on a classic folktale begins earlier than the standard version. Eager to get her filched muffin money back, surly young Jane agrees to hear a talking frog's tale. It seems that a prince once fell in love with a stablegirl named Jaylee. The witch's potion they both drank affected them in different ways: he became a frog, she lost her memory (her ``imagination,'' but the effect is the same). Delicate of detail but robust with feeling, McClintock's illustrations recall the art of Randolph Caldecott and his school; the laughing frog exudes joy; Jane, in close-fitting cap and peasant dress, glowers theatrically, and each leaf and pastry is drawn with loving attention. After the frog leaps up, leads Jane on a merry chase, then disappears, she discovers that she ``misses'' him. That turns out to be close enough to ``kisses'' to break the spell; he springs from hiding, a prince again, and Jane becomes Jaylee, the same young woman made beautiful by an agreeable expression and better hair. Share this somewhat confusing but enjoyably lighthearted episode with fans of William J. Brooke's wry retellings. (Picture book/folklore. 7-10) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.