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Title: The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known As De Fawg Pin by Donna Jo Napoli, Judith Byron Schachner ISBN: 0-14-037151-6 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: December, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.17 (12 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Odd.
Comment: I love Donna Jo Napoli's fairy tale retellings, so of course I had to read this one too. But The Prince of the Pond was quite different--and, unfortunately, inferior--to Zel or The Magic Circle. For a start, the target audience was much younger than for the other books--third grade and up, I'd say. Also, Prince of the Pond had a light, slightly humorous tone, which did not fit well with the bittersweet ending. Pin's speech problems got to annoying me, and it was never explained why he couldn't say "thh" and "rrr" and "ssss" but other frogs could. And I didn't like the drawings much at all, which, I think, detracted from my enjoyment of the story. One of the biggest problems, though, was the biology lesson. At times it seemed like the author's chief purpose was to impart scientific information about frogs. These "educational" parts tended to get in the way of the real story. They were especially jarring because the book was narrated by a frog, and it seemed quite odd that a frog should know all this, and even more odd that she should talk about it all the time. They use words like "metamorphosis", and there are sentences like "Our goggle-like eyelids kept out the water but still let us see the underwater world." And, "Your stomach acids will dissolve his [a crayfish's] hard shell." (Frogs should just take these things for granted. I mean, humans don't go around saying things like, "It is cold today, but luckily I am warm-blooded.") This, combined with the very simple writing style, often gave the feeling of an elementary school reader. Despite these problems, the story was engaging and quick-moving, and I cared about the characters enough so that I was happy to find out there was a sequel--Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace. Overall--3.5/5
Rating: 5
Summary: It's hard to be green...
Comment: The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known As De Fawg Pin is a sweet, hilarious story for the young and the young-at-heart. I'm one of the latter, as I was almost hysterical with the giggles at the very silliness of a lisping frog. Although I do not care for amphibians at all, I found the illustrations excellent and learned a thing or two since they also have a slightly biology-lesson feel. The story also provided facts about frogs that will interest children.
The story is narrated by a female frog who befriends our hapless hero, Pin. The basic tale of The Frog Prince is maintained, but only as shell. The real story revolves around Pin's adaptation to his new world and the compromises of his human and frog selves.
Donna Jo Napoli did a wonderful job of creating just the right mood for each scene - light and carefree when the frogs are playing, a little menacing when the mean old bullfrog comes, and particularly sweet when Pin is determined to save all his hundreds of tadpole children. A bit of the fantastic, the scientific, and the winsome. Also charming is the sequel, Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace.
Rating: 2
Summary: Donna does better...
Comment: Now, this was not a terrible book, but it wasn't great eithier. It starts when Jade, a frog who tells the story, discovers a strange new frog. It's a prince who has been transformed by an old hag. We never learn why, so that bugged me. Jade calls the prince "Pin", for the prince cannot speak right with his new tongue, which can be annoying sometimes. I found the pictures to be a nice addition. Overall, a cute story that later veers away and becomes serious...which ruins the whole thing.
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Title: Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace by Donna Jo Napoli, Judith Byron Schachner ISBN: 014038037X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: November, 1997 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli ISBN: 0140374396 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: June, 1995 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: Zel by Donna Jo Napoli ISBN: 0141301163 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: November, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli, Richard Tchen, S. November ISBN: 014131110X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli ISBN: 0590383892 Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks Pub. Date: 01 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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