This fun picture book will get listeners and readers both laughing and thinking. Jonathan Emmett blends fairy tale thinking with a bit of common sense in this tale of a not-so-stereotypic princess and a clever frog. Poly Bernatene's bright, computer-generated illustrations fit the whimsical nature of the tale. It would be a great read aloud for storytime. I recommend it for both public and school libraries. ( )

This is a beautiful picture book with characters drawn from the imagination of Jonathan Emmett and fleshed out with the colorful drawings by Poly Bernatene. Not your ordinary and run-of-the-mill Frog into a Prince fairy tale, this one allows the reader to delve deeper into conscious thought and think out of the box exploring the sense that all is not as it may seem and that one can't always trust what is written in every book.

On the surface this is a delightful story with a twist on kissing the frog so he can become a handsome prince. It is the tale of three sisters, all princesses, two of which are engrossed with reading fairy tales and wishing for a handsome prince to marry them - even if it meant kissing a horrid frog first.

The young Princess Martha was more interested in real frogs simply because they were frogs and without the hope of one becoming a handsome prince. She peered at the frogs in the garden and spied a clever frog who dreamed princely dreams of soft beds, wonderful food, and a glorious crown. So he devised a plan to present himself to the young princesses. The story goes on that the two day-dreaming princesses wanted to lavish treats on the frog - of course hoping to change him into a Prince. After all, that is how the story in the book went and they wanted the same thing.

The adorable and fun illustrations coupled with the story are a sure-fire winning combination and a great twist on the typical frog into a prince fairy tale. I like that the reader (and the person reading to the young child) can think deeper and a bit out of the box on this one. Typically, the young child is taught and expected to believe what the story says and what the adults teach him or her. So to even entertain the thought of a young child not believing something should be carefully approached. Granted, belief a real frog can change into a real human prince is far fetched and can easily be used to teach a youngster that just because it is in a book doesn't make it a truth. Discernment between fairy tales and truth can be taught at an early age. Care does need to be exercised by the adult in the leadership position to carefully maintain the leadership role in helping the child develop the ability to know the difference between that which is true and that which is not.

I really like this book and the twist at the end. The story is cute, expressive, entertaining, and brings a bit of educational facts to the reader. The illustrations are delightful, fun, and brightly colored.I can highly recommend it for libraries and homes.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from Peachtree Publishing to facilitate a review of my opinions which are freely given. ( )