Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett with illustrations by Poly Bernatene [Review & Givaway]

ISBN13: 9781561457618

My thoughts: 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

About the book: Enchanted prince or just a plain old frog? Pucker up, princesses! Theres only one way to find out.

Fairy tales are just stories, or so Princess Martha believes. But when her sisters meet a talking frog, they're convinced that giving him the royal treatment will turn him into Prince Charming. After all, that's what happens in their story books. Martha isn't so sure. The more she sees of Prince Ribbit, the more suspicious she becomes. Armed with the facts, Martha sets out to expose Prince Ribbit and prove to her sisters that just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's true. But before The End, Princess Martha might just learn that lesson for herself!

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the Peachtree Publishers to facilitate a review of my honest opinions which are freely given. Prize copy is provided and sent to winner by publisher.