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Author Dona Jo Napoli booklist (click here)

Book Review By Deby Fredericks
The Prince of the Pond by Dona Jo Napoli

An ordinary frog in an ordinary pond stumbles across something extraordinary: a fellow frog struggling out from a pile of human clothes! Although most frogs don't try to help each other (it isn't the froggy way) Jade takes pity on the newcomer. Pin is pathetically unable to manage himself. He can't jump, doesn't know predators from prey, and hates the very idea of eating flies!

In fact, the frog is a prince who has been transformed by a witch's evil spell. Together Pin and Jade embark on a journey to restore his human form while avoiding the witch, who likes to eat frogs for dinner.

This is a re-telling of the fairy tale "The Frog Prince." It contains brief, matter-of-fact descriptions of frogs mating.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - humorous or laughable
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %
Animal Story Yes
Kind of animal - toad/frog

Main Character
Identity: - animal
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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