frog princessBibliography:
Kimmel, Eric. 2006. The Frog Princess: a Tlingit legend from Alaska. Ill by Rosanne Litzinger. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823416186.

Plot Summary:
The daughter of village chief is not impressed by any of the suitors who have come to the village to charm her. She pronounces that she would rather marry a frog than any of the men she’s seen. One night a man clad in green with bulging eyes appears at her door and asks if she meant what she’d said about marrying frogs. The girl follows the man down to the bottom of the lake and becomes acquainted with the frog people. Once the chief finds out that his daughter may be alive, he seeks to recover her and does so successfully. However, the girl isn’t happy to be back with humankind and makes a choice to fulfill her own destiny.

Critical Analysis:
Eric Kimmel adapted The Frog Princess from an Alaskan folktale called “The Girl Who Was Taken By the Frog People”. The title of the original Tlingit tale implies that the girl in the stories is abducted by the frog people rather than accepting an invitation and warm welcome as in Kimmel’s tale. The way that Kimmel tells the story is interesting. The young girl seems curious about the new world, at first, and then happy to feast and entertain with the frog people. She loses track of time, and then when she is brought back to humans she is no longer as happy as she was with the frogs. Kimmel implies that she has accepted her fate and found true happiness with her new family. One interpretation of this story could be related to how humans are sometimes hesitant to allow family members to marry outside their race, status, or religion. Although the person may be completely content to break the mold, it can be difficult for family to accept the merging of two separate foundations.

Litzinger’s bold watercolor illustrations add depth and mystery to the folktale. The artist’s note at the end of the book provides some insight into the detail and color choices. Litzinger notes the reasoning behind the eagle and raven imagery and using red and yellow to contrast power vs. oddity.

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “Bright swaths of watercolors illuminate the landscapes and backgrounds.” – Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist: “The story (which may be too long for sharing at one sitting) is gracefully told, and preschoolers will enjoy the shape-shifting magic and cultural details, which are extended in the uncluttered paintings of villagers in Tlingit costume.” – Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Connections:

  • Discuss how The Frog Princess compares with the classic fairytale The Frog Prince.
  • Read and compare other picture book versions of the folktale such as:
    • The Frog Princess by Rosalind Allchin
    • The Frog Princess by Laura Cecil and Emma Chichester Clark
    • Frog Princess by Jan Ormerod and Emma Damon