The Horned Toad Prince

by Jackie Mims Hopkins, Michael Austin (Illustrator)

In this hilarious spin on a classic fairy tale, a spunky cowgirl finds herself in a mess of trouble and is forced to strike a deal with a horned toad.
Reba Jo loves riding all over the wild prairie and roping any critter unlucky enough to cross her path. But when her luck turns sour, she has to work with a horned toad to save her own hide. Reba Jo tries her darnedest to weasel out of her part of the bargain, but the clever horned toad won’t let her off the hook. In the end, she learns that a promise is a promise and words once spoken are not easily taken back.
Jackie Mims Hopkins’s sizzling southwestern retelling of the fairy tale “The Frog Prince” is complemented by Michael Austin’s vibrant, distinctive illustrations, which colorfully transport young readers to the untamed, dusty prairie.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Jackie Mims Hopkins is a storyteller, a school librarian and a former teacher. She is the author of several children's books, including The Three Armadillies Tuff and The Gold Miner's Daughter. She lives in Texas.

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Texan spin on an old Fairy Tale.

[Gmr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time, in the land of dust and tumbleweeds, there lived a young girl named Reba Jo. She loved playing the guitar, singing and roping her way through the day above all else....even when it meant not listening to her father's warnings about crossing the dry arroyos (or creeks). One misadventure lands he in debt to a horned toad....a "prince" nonetheless. His requests for repayment land on deaf ears...at least at first.....for as we all know a deal is a deal after all.

Suffice it to say that this story plays off the classic "The Princess and the Frog"; HOWEVER, that is where the similarities end....just on the surface. If we go one step deeper, we find the story made over in location, characters, personalities (gotta love their spunkiness...all of them really), and the actual promise made. The final outcome will surprise you fully in all ways. Seriously! Even after the final words have been read, there is one more picture that adds a little more Reba Jo-ness before the curtains close.

The illustrations are another wonderful aspect of the book as they have an earthy quality in both color and texture that takes you out of suburbia and places you on the lonesome prairie with the characters. Plus, the author incorporates a bit of learning into the scheme of things with a basic Spanish lesson scattered throughout the tale. It's subtle but a great touch.

A great little book for readers of all ages; whether young or simply young at heart, the messages are clear.....be careful what you promise AND things aren't always as they seem at first glance. Happy reading!

[Sheather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the fairy tale The Frog Prince set in the American southwest. Like in the original tale, a young girl makes a promise to a toad in exchange for him to retrieve an object precious to her. She breaks the promise and flees, but the toad comes to her house to make her keep her word. In this version, the girl is named Reba Jo and the setting includes buzzards, a dry riverbed and chili. The story may be familiar, but this version has an unexpected ending. Illustrated by Michael Austin.

This is a clever, funny book with beautiful illustrations. Readers will laugh out loud at some of Reba Jo’s expressions. Spanish words are scattered throughout the text, which add a feeling of authenticity to the tale. A fun version of an old story.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Grades: K-5

Unique Feature: The humor in this book is great and very unique. There is a big twist at the end of the story that does a play off of the usual ending in the "Princess and the Frog" trope.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Western take on a classic fairy-tale.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book and the illustration was funny as well.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm digging this retelling of the Frog Prince. Set in the Southwest, Reba Jo is a sassy cowgirl, not a spoiled princess. The horned toad tosses in Spanish words, but they're common enough that I could read it aloud (with my very limited knowledge of Spanish) and feel confident. I like the twist ending of why the two don't get "hitched" after the toad turns into a caballero. Very kid-friendly and fun to read.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowgirl Reba Jo loses her new sombrero and makes a deal with a horned toad to get it back in this retelling of The Frog Prince. The toad teaches Reba the importance of keeping promises in this eye-catching, humorous tale. The illustrations of the toad are funny and the story is chalked with regional twang and Spanish phrases.

[Rebecca RDG 3320 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute book. I love all her books. She is from Texas and writes stories that have to do with Texas. She came to school I was doing my block at. Nice book to show how fairy tales can be told differently.

[Jessica Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a bilingual modern day frog prince. The writing uses descriptive words to get the point across of a western setting. Great book to show a different kind of writing that children can use in their own writing. They can read like writers!

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books to perform. The story and illustrations are hilarious. A great fractured version of "The Frog Prince".

[Zonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great folktale with a sprinkilng of Spanish words. Very expressive illustrations.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny version of The Princess and the Frog set in the southwest. This fairytale was more accepted by the boys in my class than the original.

[Rebecca Anderson]

i read this book in my classroom to i love it its similar to cinderella snow white and the princess and the toad
i love it

[Annalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice diction and sentence pacing...read with classes when studying word choice.

[Reeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute western retelling of The Frog Prince.

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids love the illustrations. They connect with the fact that it is similar to the frog prince.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming re-telling of A Frog Prince, only this time it takes place on the lonesome prairie. Had great fun using my Latino accent for the horned toad.

Goofy and fun illustrations.