Prince Ribbit
Written by Jonathan Emmett
Illustrations by Poly Bernatene
Peachtree Publishers  3/01/2017
978-1-56145-761-8
32 pages   Ages 3—7

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“Just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true . . .

“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 storybook.

“Martha isn’t so sure. In fact, the more she sees of Prince Ribbit, the more suspicious she becomes.

“Armed with facts, Martha sets out to expose the slimy amphibian and prove to her sisters that “just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true.” [INSIDE JACKET]

Review
[WC 409]
Princess Arabella reads her sister, Princess Lucinda, The Frog Prince. They both decide if they ever met a real frog prince, they will both treat the frog like royalty. A frog has been listening to all the fairy tales the girls share. He wants to live like a real prince. The frog pops out of the pond and greets Arabella and Lucinda, but the princesses immediately forget their promises and yell at the frog, “the little beast!” Then the frog speaks.

“I am an enchanted prince. A jealous wizard turned me into a frog because I was so astonishingly handsome! If only there was a way to break the spell.”

Arabella and Lucinda immediately fall for the frog’s ploy. They begin treating him like a real prince, but not their younger (and smarter) sister, Princess Martha. Martha likes facts. She tries to persuade her sisters that this Prince Ribbit is simply a frog. But not even all the facts in the kingdom can persuade them. They treat the frog like a prince.
The big message in Prince Ribbit is “just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true.” Martha tries to use this to persuade her sisters that the frog is just a frog, but the older girls use the same quote to Martha and her nonfiction books.

The digital illustrations are big, bold, and bright. Children will love them. This is no Cinderella story between the sisters. They all look terrific and there is no animosity between them. The message of not believing everything you read may be a good one, but it may also be confusing to young children. Martha’s nonfiction books being something you cannot always believe may be often questioned. Questions aside, children will love Prince Ribbit. The girls look and act like princess, except for Martha, and the frog is supremely funny.
I like Martha realizing she’s never read her sister’s fiction and giving it a try. She reads a few of the stories and decides the stories, though not true, can be inspiring and funny. I like this “message” best of all. Meanwhile, Prince Ribbit’s spell will not break, not even when the older girls try kissing him. Martha likes the frog because he is clever enough to fool her sisters and wants him for a friend. When she kisses him . . . well, you can imagine what happens, but remember: “Just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true.”

PRINCE RIBBIT. Text copyright © 2017 by Jonathan Emmett. Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Poly Bernatene. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, GA.

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Illustrations from PRINCE RIBBIT by Jonathan Emmett copyright © 2017 by Poly Bernatene. Used with permission from Peachtree Publishers.

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Copyright © 2017 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Prince Ribbit
Written by Jonathan Emmett
Illustrations by Poly Bernatene
Peachtree Publishers 3/01/2017
9781561457618