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Frogged
A princess should be as good as she is beautiful.
So says The Art of Being a Princess, which Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. But since she is neither particularly good nor all that beautiful, she skips her homework to visit the pond. There she meets a talking frog who claims to be a prince under a witch's spell. Imogene kindly kisses him to remove the spell - and gets turned into a frog instead!
Now the only way for the princess to un-frog herself is to convince someone else to kiss her. But before she can figure out a plan, Imogene gets kidnapped and becomes the unwilling star attraction in a third-rate traveling theater company. Can she find a way to undo the witch's spell - or will she be frogged forever?
198 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2013
33 people are currently reading
1977 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Vande Velde
42 books995 followersVivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
June 4, 2013
When Princess Imogene tries to help who she thinks is a prince cursed to be a frog, she ends up a frog herself. But she must pass the curse on to someone else to save herself and Imogene has enough fortitude not to do that.
Imogene is just a little younger than thirteen and it shows in her actions. She's not unintelligent, just young and sheltered. Her eventual traveling companion, Luella, is a delight. She's the butt of a mean joke at first, but she turns out to be more. This is not my favorite of Vande Velde's books, but FROGGED is a fun little fractured fairytale. It's also quite funny.
February 19, 2019
Frogger was such a cute read!! I loved the twist on the spell and hope it transferred to the person you kissed. Didn't see the ending coming, but it was a good ending. All in all, a fun read!
March 1, 2019
This was a cute little story. I liked Imogene, the princess and main character. She was spunky and not your typical high maintenance princess. She was funny and I liked how she took things in stride. Even though she was mad at being turned into a frog, she was still nice to people and helped them. Ned and Harry were jerks, but Prince Malcolm was sweet. This was an easy, fun read.
December 26, 2019
Super cute and humorous story, though the pacing lagged here and there. Dragon Bait is still my favorite VVV book!
July 30, 2016
Originally posted on Small Review
I don't even know how to describe this book. It's Vivian Vande Velde. I like Vivian Vande Velde. I haven't read a book she's written that I haven't liked, though some I've LOVED (but this one I liked). I recommend her to everyone because she's just that kind of author. Basically, amazing.
What I mean to say is that this is a solid read. It didn't leave a huge impression on me, but that's mostly because it's the more MG Vivian Vande Velde as opposed to the more YA Vivian Vande Velde, and I like her YA stuff more than her thinner MG stuff.
Her YA stuff has more character depth and deeper plots, whereas her more MG stuff sits a little closer to the surface and the characters aren't nearly as developed.
But that's ok, because YA or MG, I can pretty much always count on Vivian Vande Velde to give me these things:
Sarcastic, sly, witty humor
A sweet, but background, romance
An imperfect main character who is fun, stubborn, smart, and ultimately good
An engaging mystery or conundrum with a satisfying conclusion
A plot with no boring filler and enough momentum to keep me engaged from start to finish
A feel-good, comfort read story
Funny side characters
Slap-in-the-face characters who aren't as good or nice as typical MG/YA book characters tend to be
A unique twist on ho-hum plot
And I got all that, so I'm happy.
Also, I loved that her prologue basically chastised me for remarking on how I usually skip prologues and author's notes. Ha! Well, I assure you, while I STILL skip most author's prologues (you know, the kind that are ABOUT the book and not actually a PART of the story), I ALWAYS read Vivian Vande Velde's prologues and author's notes (and you should too. They're funny!)
Recommended for fans of Vivian Vande Velde and fractured fairy tales.
Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key
Originally posted on Small Review
I don't even know how to describe this book. It's Vivian Vande Velde. I like Vivian Vande Velde. I haven't read a book she's written that I haven't liked, though some I've LOVED (but this one I liked). I recommend her to everyone because she's just that kind of author. Basically, amazing.
What I mean to say is that this is a solid read. It didn't leave a huge impression on me, but that's mostly because it's the more MG Vivian Vande Velde as opposed to the more YA Vivian Vande Velde, and I like her YA stuff more than her thinner MG stuff.
Her YA stuff has more character depth and deeper plots, whereas her more MG stuff sits a little closer to the surface and the characters aren't nearly as developed.
But that's ok, because YA or MG, I can pretty much always count on Vivian Vande Velde to give me these things:
Sarcastic, sly, witty humor
A sweet, but background, romance
An imperfect main character who is fun, stubborn, smart, and ultimately good
An engaging mystery or conundrum with a satisfying conclusion
A plot with no boring filler and enough momentum to keep me engaged from start to finish
A feel-good, comfort read story
Funny side characters
Slap-in-the-face characters who aren't as good or nice as typical MG/YA book characters tend to be
A unique twist on ho-hum plot
And I got all that, so I'm happy.
Also, I loved that her prologue basically chastised me for remarking on how I usually skip prologues and author's notes. Ha! Well, I assure you, while I STILL skip most author's prologues (you know, the kind that are ABOUT the book and not actually a PART of the story), I ALWAYS read Vivian Vande Velde's prologues and author's notes (and you should too. They're funny!)
Recommended for fans of Vivian Vande Velde and fractured fairy tales.
Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key
Originally posted on Small Review
September 18, 2017
I liked this book. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of what was happening, because the author kept on adding new characters. I would recommend this book to people who like Land of Stories, because it is about fairy tales. You really get connected with the characters.
February 23, 2019
This was a cute retelling of the Frog Prince. I found it very easy to read and liked the twist to the story, that the princess who kisses the frog turns into a frog herself. I definitely think that younger ages would enjoy this tale, since older ones might find the ending predictable. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, you would probably enjoy this story.
June 10, 2022
una historia graciosa y adorable. lo único que me sobró muchísimo el pseudoromance del final.
February 2, 2020
I'm a lover of fairy tales and all that goes with it - dangerous journey's, daring rescues, princesses who save themselves (girl power!), witches, good versus evil, and of course happily ever afters. Telling me that you just read or I should read a book that is a retelling will instantly make me want to read the book. I do not need to know anymore just give me the book. I decided to read some retellings this year after I told myself I would last year.
So here I am with Frogged - a retelling of The Frog Prince. Have you ever read the original Frog Prince? The princess is a total brat who after getting something precious back from a kind frog (a golden ball - I'm being serious) she runs away from him and refuses to keep her end of the bargain when he is able to retrieve the ball. Basically she agreed for him to eat off her plate, be her friend, and sleep in her bed. Kind of weird but, a frog isn't going to do anything to you so why not? And you know how she breaks the spell? By throwing the frog at a wall. No kissing like you have been taught with other books and certain movies. I felt a little snuffed with the no kissing part and why should this bratty princess have a happily ever after? The weird and interesting thing was with the prince's loyal companion and servant, Henry I believe his name was, if anyone know of a retelling with him let me know because I would totally read it.
Frogged, thankfully, did not have a bratty princess - more like a snarky one who didn't care to act like a lady or in her case a princess. Imogene, named after one of her grandmothers - lucky her - is a little wild and she feels her mother is cold towards her. Her mother wants her to read a book entitled The Art of Being a Princess but Imogene can't bring herself to read more than a few sentences before she finds herself tricked and turned into a frog. She doesn't believe herself to be good but she was very nice to kiss a talking frog/human who needed some help. Imogene then journey's to the worst witch conversationalist ever and then gets kidnapped to work in a traveling theater by two witless teenagers - Luella and Bertie - who don't believe a talking frog when she tells them she's a princess under a spell.
"By concentrating, she could make out what the frogs were saying, and that was when she realized their language only had a few words. Imogene didn't like to judge, but she felt that the frogs didn't have much to say."
While Imogene is at the traveling theater she makes witty and humorous remarks and gives advice to Luella who makes the mistake of following Bertie to a traveling theater. Imogene's funnier than I expected and I really enjoyed her perspective as a princess trapped in a frog's body. I kind of felt bad for frogs and their bad wraps even though I will still never get near any of them or at least not any toads *shudder*.
"Then, in the kind of voice quite a few people use for pets and very young children, Luella said, "Can you say Polly'? Say: "My name is Polly."
Imogene couldn't help herself. "You," she told Luella, "are a twit."
But Luella only laughed.
"Better be careful," Bertie said. "Some parrots have picked up quite rude language. The same might be true for our Chinese speaking frog."
Imogene told him, "You're a twit too."
I liked the bond Imogene and Luella both made and the somewhat change in strength of character with Luella. The villain - Ned, the owner of the traveling theater - was a horrible playwright. He was pretty wicked and lacking in smarts which was a theme in the story. Imogene's story was entertaining especially since she was amongst fools and would make light of it by making fun of them. She was also always nice to Luella which proved herself wrong. She was a very good person even when she was in such frustrating circumstances. That sounds a little contradictory but she was nice to the right people who didn't blatantly keep her against her will.
The ending was satisfying but there was one thing that I was so-so on. I liked how it all came together with Imogene but I don't know about Luella. There was kissing in this story which thoroughly made me happy. I'd never read a Frog Prince retelling before Frogged so now I'm really interested to see other author's perspective on the original tale. This was a really cute and funny retelling that I'm sure will entertain lover's of children's fiction and fairy tales.
So here I am with Frogged - a retelling of The Frog Prince. Have you ever read the original Frog Prince? The princess is a total brat who after getting something precious back from a kind frog (a golden ball - I'm being serious) she runs away from him and refuses to keep her end of the bargain when he is able to retrieve the ball. Basically she agreed for him to eat off her plate, be her friend, and sleep in her bed. Kind of weird but, a frog isn't going to do anything to you so why not? And you know how she breaks the spell? By throwing the frog at a wall. No kissing like you have been taught with other books and certain movies. I felt a little snuffed with the no kissing part and why should this bratty princess have a happily ever after? The weird and interesting thing was with the prince's loyal companion and servant, Henry I believe his name was, if anyone know of a retelling with him let me know because I would totally read it.
Frogged, thankfully, did not have a bratty princess - more like a snarky one who didn't care to act like a lady or in her case a princess. Imogene, named after one of her grandmothers - lucky her - is a little wild and she feels her mother is cold towards her. Her mother wants her to read a book entitled The Art of Being a Princess but Imogene can't bring herself to read more than a few sentences before she finds herself tricked and turned into a frog. She doesn't believe herself to be good but she was very nice to kiss a talking frog/human who needed some help. Imogene then journey's to the worst witch conversationalist ever and then gets kidnapped to work in a traveling theater by two witless teenagers - Luella and Bertie - who don't believe a talking frog when she tells them she's a princess under a spell.
"By concentrating, she could make out what the frogs were saying, and that was when she realized their language only had a few words. Imogene didn't like to judge, but she felt that the frogs didn't have much to say."
While Imogene is at the traveling theater she makes witty and humorous remarks and gives advice to Luella who makes the mistake of following Bertie to a traveling theater. Imogene's funnier than I expected and I really enjoyed her perspective as a princess trapped in a frog's body. I kind of felt bad for frogs and their bad wraps even though I will still never get near any of them or at least not any toads *shudder*.
"Then, in the kind of voice quite a few people use for pets and very young children, Luella said, "Can you say Polly'? Say: "My name is Polly."
Imogene couldn't help herself. "You," she told Luella, "are a twit."
But Luella only laughed.
"Better be careful," Bertie said. "Some parrots have picked up quite rude language. The same might be true for our Chinese speaking frog."
Imogene told him, "You're a twit too."
I liked the bond Imogene and Luella both made and the somewhat change in strength of character with Luella. The villain - Ned, the owner of the traveling theater - was a horrible playwright. He was pretty wicked and lacking in smarts which was a theme in the story. Imogene's story was entertaining especially since she was amongst fools and would make light of it by making fun of them. She was also always nice to Luella which proved herself wrong. She was a very good person even when she was in such frustrating circumstances. That sounds a little contradictory but she was nice to the right people who didn't blatantly keep her against her will.
The ending was satisfying but there was one thing that I was so-so on. I liked how it all came together with Imogene but I don't know about Luella. There was kissing in this story which thoroughly made me happy. I'd never read a Frog Prince retelling before Frogged so now I'm really interested to see other author's perspective on the original tale. This was a really cute and funny retelling that I'm sure will entertain lover's of children's fiction and fairy tales.
July 23, 2015
Frogged, Vivian Vande Velde
Category/genre- YA, fantasy fiction
Estimate of age of level of interest- Grades 4-8
Estimate reading level
• Reading level 5.6
• Lexile Measure 870
• F and P= T
Brief description
Princess Imogene is preparing for her thirteenth birthday and being transformed from a loud, rude, tom-boy to a real princess. Her journey to becoming a true princess begins with the unfortunate transformation into a frog and the adventures that ensue as she strives to return home to her parents and her younger brother. Her journey proves to prepare her more for young womanhood and becoming a princess than the words of the book given to her by her mother; The Art of Being a Princess. The book is witty, moves quickly and is an easy read. It is most suitable for girls grades 4-8 but not without interest for boys.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book
There is always a quest and a hero who must complete the quest no matter the dangers or the impossibility of the tasks set before him/her. (Chance, P. 84)
Princess Imogene is on a quest to return home AND to be freed of the curse that has turned her into a frog, preferably without passing that curse on to another person. Many dangerous and misadventures are encountered as she makes both friends and foes on this quest.
There must be plenty of suspense to propel the story forward and compel the reader to keep turning the pages (Chance, p. 84)
Each chapter brings us to a new peril as Imogene faces the challenges of being a frog and returning home. The reader is compelled to read the next chapter to find out how Imogene gets out of the situation and what new situation she will encounter.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?
This is a soft coming-of-age story that particularly speaks to the growing pains of young adolescents (and specifically girls). It is also a fun read for entertainment that is written in a style suitable for students grades 4-8. It meets these needs well.
Awards, if any- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award 2014-2015
Links to published reviews
Kirkus reviews, March 15, 2013
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
Publishers Weekly, February 11, 2013 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
School Library Journal, June 1, 2013 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
Category/genre- YA, fantasy fiction
Estimate of age of level of interest- Grades 4-8
Estimate reading level
• Reading level 5.6
• Lexile Measure 870
• F and P= T
Brief description
Princess Imogene is preparing for her thirteenth birthday and being transformed from a loud, rude, tom-boy to a real princess. Her journey to becoming a true princess begins with the unfortunate transformation into a frog and the adventures that ensue as she strives to return home to her parents and her younger brother. Her journey proves to prepare her more for young womanhood and becoming a princess than the words of the book given to her by her mother; The Art of Being a Princess. The book is witty, moves quickly and is an easy read. It is most suitable for girls grades 4-8 but not without interest for boys.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book
There is always a quest and a hero who must complete the quest no matter the dangers or the impossibility of the tasks set before him/her. (Chance, P. 84)
Princess Imogene is on a quest to return home AND to be freed of the curse that has turned her into a frog, preferably without passing that curse on to another person. Many dangerous and misadventures are encountered as she makes both friends and foes on this quest.
There must be plenty of suspense to propel the story forward and compel the reader to keep turning the pages (Chance, p. 84)
Each chapter brings us to a new peril as Imogene faces the challenges of being a frog and returning home. The reader is compelled to read the next chapter to find out how Imogene gets out of the situation and what new situation she will encounter.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?
This is a soft coming-of-age story that particularly speaks to the growing pains of young adolescents (and specifically girls). It is also a fun read for entertainment that is written in a style suitable for students grades 4-8. It meets these needs well.
Awards, if any- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award 2014-2015
Links to published reviews
Kirkus reviews, March 15, 2013
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
Publishers Weekly, February 11, 2013 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
School Library Journal, June 1, 2013 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.u...
January 3, 2013
Sometimes I'll pick up a book and start reading it without noting the author on the cover. When four pages in, I'm really getting settled into the text and my third thoughts murmur "hey, this author knows what they're doing", that's often when I'll go back and check to see who wrote the book.
That's what happened here. I snagged this book off my TBR pile in a hurry, needing something for my train ride. Got a few pages in, and then checked the writer. And of course Ms. Vivian Vande Velde knows her stuff. She's been writing engaging fantasy stories for kids long enough that I remember picking up her books when I was still in school.
Frogged is a compact little fairy tale-esque story that manages to be funny, pointed at times, a little romantic, a little magical and deliver a good ending. Our main protagonist is Princess Imogene, who rather despairs of ever figuring out how to be a really good princess. By magical mischance, she gets herself turned into a frog . . . and then her adventures really begin. The author is very good at creating vivid characters--both likable and not, and it's easy to like our froggy heroine as she strives to get back home.
What's perhaps more remarkable is the author's deft hand at threading other issues throughout the story. There's definitely some coming of age threads for our heroine here, and some pointed discoveries the princess makes about how differently she lives from the poor folk. But it never overwhelms the plot and turns it into an issue book. The author is very good and knowing what not to say or belabor. Instead, the commentary is made with the reader left to consider it and what it means.
We've seen a glut in recent years of very "kick-ass" kind of princesses. The kind that not only don't fit the proper princess mold, but would rather use their tiara to brain the bad guy. Imogene isn't a warrior, or any kind of kick-butt heroine. This story doesn't turn being a traditional princess into a bad thing, but does remind readers--and princesses--that they are still human. A delightful contribution to fantasy for this year!
That's what happened here. I snagged this book off my TBR pile in a hurry, needing something for my train ride. Got a few pages in, and then checked the writer. And of course Ms. Vivian Vande Velde knows her stuff. She's been writing engaging fantasy stories for kids long enough that I remember picking up her books when I was still in school.
Frogged is a compact little fairy tale-esque story that manages to be funny, pointed at times, a little romantic, a little magical and deliver a good ending. Our main protagonist is Princess Imogene, who rather despairs of ever figuring out how to be a really good princess. By magical mischance, she gets herself turned into a frog . . . and then her adventures really begin. The author is very good at creating vivid characters--both likable and not, and it's easy to like our froggy heroine as she strives to get back home.
What's perhaps more remarkable is the author's deft hand at threading other issues throughout the story. There's definitely some coming of age threads for our heroine here, and some pointed discoveries the princess makes about how differently she lives from the poor folk. But it never overwhelms the plot and turns it into an issue book. The author is very good and knowing what not to say or belabor. Instead, the commentary is made with the reader left to consider it and what it means.
We've seen a glut in recent years of very "kick-ass" kind of princesses. The kind that not only don't fit the proper princess mold, but would rather use their tiara to brain the bad guy. Imogene isn't a warrior, or any kind of kick-butt heroine. This story doesn't turn being a traditional princess into a bad thing, but does remind readers--and princesses--that they are still human. A delightful contribution to fantasy for this year!
March 30, 2014
Princess Imogene is trying to be helpful in kissing the frog claiming to be a prince, only to find herself unwittingly used by that pesky boy Harry who got himself justly turned into a frog for annoying a nice old witch. Now she's stuck as a frog until she can get someone else to kiss her, but Princess Imogene feels bad about tricking anyone the way Harry tricked her. How can a princess break a curse without stooping to the low of turning someone else into a frog? She tries asking the witch, but she doesn't turn out to be much help. And she's on her way to the palace to see if she can convince them that she's Princess Imogene and then get their help to find some way to break the enchantment -- but on the way she gets caught by some actors who think she can make quite a bundle for their show. Even worse, as part of the show she can tell everyone and anyone the truth but no one will ever believe that she's really the princess. Things aren't looking too good for Imogene (except as a famous frog), until help comes from an unexpected corner and rather creative thinking.
Vande Velde certainly took this familiar fairy tale in unexpected directions. But I found that a good thing. I really wasn't sure how things were going to get resolved, and even when I thought I might have an idea, that turned out wrong. So this book earns it's place on the shelf by taking the tale in new directions and not being quite predictable. Imogene is a princess many pre-teen girls will identify with. She feels clumsy, and not quite up to par in the beautiful ranks, and absolutely hopeless in the princess etiquette area. But she gives it her best shot, and it turns out she has a beautiful heart. Not many would be willing to stay a frog in order to save others from the amphibian experience. Imogene's also got some good dialogue with touches of humor. I wasn't rolling on the floor laughing by any means, but she helped the book stay lighthearted and comical despite what could have seemed rather dire circumstances. In all, another nice fairy tale rewrite for the middle grade crowd.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are a few kisses, but nothing more. No violence.
Vande Velde certainly took this familiar fairy tale in unexpected directions. But I found that a good thing. I really wasn't sure how things were going to get resolved, and even when I thought I might have an idea, that turned out wrong. So this book earns it's place on the shelf by taking the tale in new directions and not being quite predictable. Imogene is a princess many pre-teen girls will identify with. She feels clumsy, and not quite up to par in the beautiful ranks, and absolutely hopeless in the princess etiquette area. But she gives it her best shot, and it turns out she has a beautiful heart. Not many would be willing to stay a frog in order to save others from the amphibian experience. Imogene's also got some good dialogue with touches of humor. I wasn't rolling on the floor laughing by any means, but she helped the book stay lighthearted and comical despite what could have seemed rather dire circumstances. In all, another nice fairy tale rewrite for the middle grade crowd.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There are a few kisses, but nothing more. No violence.
February 11, 2014
Eh. It was okay. It sounded really fun; I love a good modernized/modified fairy tale. This one was supposed to be a take on The Frog Prince clearly. As my roommate Kelly pointed out when I read her the description, it sounded like a cross between Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and Don Bluth’s Thumbelina. (Which is one of my all time favorite movies, no shame.) The execution was just a little boring. There wasn’t much that was new here; I’m not sure why the author felt the need to tell this story. I never really felt any sense of suspense or urgency to the story, and pretty much all the characters were flat and one-dimensional. Imogene, the princess, was kind of fun and her voice was at times sarcastic and witty, but I didn’t feel any sort of real connection to her. The love interest at the end came out of nowhere and felt incredibly unneeded. The story didn’t call for any kind of romantic plot at all, especially not one so half-assed. Also Ned’s strange redemption/exposition that came in the final few chapters felt ridiculous and out of character. Overall, I was just not impressed with this book.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.
April 22, 2013
I will keep this short and sweet. Or just short really. I was expecting a lot from this book, considering it was written by Vivian Vande Velde, which may explain why I feel so disappointed with it. It was a good book all in all. It was an interesting spin on the original fairy tale, though an interesting spin I have seen before in E.D. Bakers' series The Frog Princess. That was my primary problem with this book. I kept thinking I was reading one of E.D. Bakers books and confusing myself. It did differ from The Frog Princess, but not as much as I would have liked. I personally found that the plot was thinner then most of Mrs. Vande Velde's other books. I did like the Princess a lot, but she's pretty much the only character I liked and who felt even sort of developed. I hate to write a mean review, but I set the bar high and it missed it by a mile.
December 24, 2013
**I received an ARC and was not compensated for this review**
This book is exactly the kind of book I would've loved when I was eight or nine. It had that unique whimsy that can only be captured in certain middle grade stories.
Blank*teen year old me loved it just as much, if not more, than I would've when I was nine. It made me giggle and sent all sorts of silly daydreams into my head.
The story, while somewhat predictable, was just too much fun for me to care. Imogene was a very spunky character, who I think a lot of girls could relate to (except for, y'know, the frog part...)
With clever writing and a satisfying 'Happily Ever After', I'm sure this story will be entertaining readers for years to come!
*What, you didn’t think I’d reveal my true age, did you?
This book is exactly the kind of book I would've loved when I was eight or nine. It had that unique whimsy that can only be captured in certain middle grade stories.
Blank*teen year old me loved it just as much, if not more, than I would've when I was nine. It made me giggle and sent all sorts of silly daydreams into my head.
The story, while somewhat predictable, was just too much fun for me to care. Imogene was a very spunky character, who I think a lot of girls could relate to (except for, y'know, the frog part...)
With clever writing and a satisfying 'Happily Ever After', I'm sure this story will be entertaining readers for years to come!
*What, you didn’t think I’d reveal my true age, did you?
May 12, 2013
This is more around 3.5
I enjoyed the quirkiness of the story but I kind of got tired of how things kept going from bad to worst without any break. More than once I felt like going "Oh for goodness sake" because I just couldn't believe what some of the characters were doing or saying.
It was interesting to see a new twist on the Princess and the frog tale. I've never stopped to wonder how it would feel like to be a frog and now I have a very good idea.
In case you decide to read it and find yourself wanting to stop, just know that it does get better about half way through.
I enjoyed the quirkiness of the story but I kind of got tired of how things kept going from bad to worst without any break. More than once I felt like going "Oh for goodness sake" because I just couldn't believe what some of the characters were doing or saying.
It was interesting to see a new twist on the Princess and the frog tale. I've never stopped to wonder how it would feel like to be a frog and now I have a very good idea.
In case you decide to read it and find yourself wanting to stop, just know that it does get better about half way through.
May 13, 2020
Not Vande Velde's finest, but charming and enjoyable. Another fairytale retelling and the Princess and the Frog, only this time when Imogene kisses the frog, he returns to a prince and she becomes a frog. Adventures ensure as she searches for the way to return to being a human. Enjoy!
2020: I appreciated Imogene and Luella's arc a bit more this time.
2020: I appreciated Imogene and Luella's arc a bit more this time.
June 18, 2022
Just as light and charming as expected from this author and cover. A few opportunities for more depth were left unexplored, but, really, sometimes we just want a fairy tale that's only a little bit reimagined, not twisted or fractured into something dark or heavy.
July 13, 2016
One Sentence Review: Sweet without being cutesy, this is one of the more enjoyable little light fantasy reads you'll encounter in a while.
January 10, 2018
Cute, funny fractured fairy tale - 12-year-old Princess Imogene kisses a frog who claims he's a prince...and gets turned into a frog herself.
I'm reading this with Sandy, but got impatient to find out how it ends and read ahead. I really love the portrayal of the parents in this book. So often tween/teen novels have parents that are portrayed as idiotic, absent, oblivious, etc.... This novel portrayed her parents as intelligent, concerned, and loving. There was some conflict with her mother at the beginning over "proper" behavior, but at the end, she sees how much more important she is to her mother than proper behavior.
I'm reading this with Sandy, but got impatient to find out how it ends and read ahead. I really love the portrayal of the parents in this book. So often tween/teen novels have parents that are portrayed as idiotic, absent, oblivious, etc.... This novel portrayed her parents as intelligent, concerned, and loving. There was some conflict with her mother at the beginning over "proper" behavior, but at the end, she sees how much more important she is to her mother than proper behavior.
March 14, 2019
I picked this up on the way out of the library because of the catchy cover and I always enjoy re-tells of fairy tales.
This was very cute. Age range I would say is 7-11. It's fun and I thought the ending very clever. I liked that the romance was very light. Pretty much nonexistent. Appropriate for this age group.
Things I didn't like--the beginning felt a bit forced. It took her a few chapters to find her rhythm. The bad guy wasn't all that bad and he turns out to be pretty nice at the end so that's confusing. The book never seemed to reach its climax. It kind of just fizzed. But these are nit picky things and it should not prevent parents from letting their kids read this.
This was very cute. Age range I would say is 7-11. It's fun and I thought the ending very clever. I liked that the romance was very light. Pretty much nonexistent. Appropriate for this age group.
Things I didn't like--the beginning felt a bit forced. It took her a few chapters to find her rhythm. The bad guy wasn't all that bad and he turns out to be pretty nice at the end so that's confusing. The book never seemed to reach its climax. It kind of just fizzed. But these are nit picky things and it should not prevent parents from letting their kids read this.
January 7, 2022
A lighthearted breezy read about a princess that gets turned into a frog and must find the way to reverse the spell. "Frogged" was not, lol, but it had a consistently chipper tone to it that made it entertaining and easygoing from beginning to end. My main issue with the book is that for most of the novel the main character is being carried and moved around, both literally and figuratively, so she doesn't do much, except react and go along, and I wish she had more agency because there so many fun situations where a frog jumping around and causing a commotion would've added more fun to the story. This left mostly a good impression on me and I want to read more from this author.
February 20, 2019
This book was ok, but it bears a striking resemblance to the book "Tales of A Frog Princess", and not in the best way. This one took a new spin to some things, but let me say this without going into too much detail: read the series by E.D. Baker instead of this book. The "Tales of the Frog Princess" features, in my personal opinion, more memorable characters, an interesting world, and an overall greater 'meaning'. Yes, I'm talking about a book geared for the same age as "Frogged". I will try to add to this review soon, but I don't have time right now.
February 9, 2018
Using a book she's ignored (the titles of each chapter are lessons from the book 'Art of Being a Princess') awkward Princess Imogene gets herself turned into a frog by kissing one and goes off an adventure to turn herself back into Imogene. Fun colorful characters, light humor and lessons of coming-of-age, this is a great book for girls, especially, who are in that awkward stage in life (when puberty hits), who like(d) the Disney Princesses and looking for something fun to read.
June 24, 2020
Cute and hilarious. A great, light-hearted middle-grade read. Also, I love the cover!
Favorite bits:
“Chapter 3: A Princess Ought to Be Fearless. (That’s just crazy: the only people who are fearless are people who have no imagination.)”
“‘All right,’ she said, ‘how do we do this?’
The frog rolled his eyes, which is not a pretty sight in a frog.
‘Well, it seems to me that either the lips gotta come down to the frog, or the frog’s gotta come up to the lips.’”
Favorite bits:
“Chapter 3: A Princess Ought to Be Fearless. (That’s just crazy: the only people who are fearless are people who have no imagination.)”
“‘All right,’ she said, ‘how do we do this?’
The frog rolled his eyes, which is not a pretty sight in a frog.
‘Well, it seems to me that either the lips gotta come down to the frog, or the frog’s gotta come up to the lips.’”
November 22, 2023
A delightful fractured fairy tale! "Boy trouble" of various kinds makes Princess Imogene croak! But this quick-witted problem-solving princess turned frog is not defeated by bad poetry, poor playwright skills, the treacherous wainright's boy, or a tendency to dry out while hopping long distances. After a few setbacks on the stage, Imogene bands together with her friend, Luella, and saves herself in an unexpected but believeable leap. Lots of fun.
August 10, 2017
Some reviewers have said this isn't one of Vivian Vande Velde's best books, but I've read only one other book by her, so I can't comment on that. I liked the plot and I was entertained by the humor in both the narration and the dialogue. A fun book!
November 16, 2017
My 9 year old daughter loved this book and insisted that I read it. So I finally did. It was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end so it wasn’t a waste of my time. The plot starts off interestingly enough, but then starts meandering all over the place until it reaches a fairly dull and predictable ending.
December 27, 2019
I like that Imogene was brave enough not to pass along the curse to someone else.....even someone willing to take it on. & when her mother is scolding her about her dress & she turns the comment around ; p
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2023
Just finished reading this to my girls and we all loved it! Such a unique telling of an old tale. Some of the verbiage was a bit older for the girls, but they didn’t mind! We are so buying a copy after reading this library treasure!
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