One should be able to say of a princess "She was as good as she was beautiful," according to The Art of Being a Princess (third revised edition), which the almost-thirteen-year-old Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. Not feeling particularly good, or all that beautiful, she heads for a nearby pond, where, unfortunately, a talking frog tricks her into kissing him. No prince appears, as one might expect. Instead, the princess turns into a frog herself! Thus launches a funny, wonderfully spun fractured fairy tale in which Imogene wonders if she will be forever frogified.
Vivian Vande Velde has written many highly acclaimed books for teen and middle-grade readers, including Three Good Deeds, Heir Apparent, Deadly Pink, and the Edgar Award- winning Never Trust a Dead Man. She lives in Rochester, New York. Visit her website at www.vivianvandevelde.com.
"Imogene's misadventures as an amphibian are entertaining. There's enough light humor throughout to keep readers hooked."
--Publishers Weekly "A fine addition to the canon of fractured fairy tales."
--Kirkus "The action is convincing, carried forward by dialogue and ironic good humor. A satisfying journey for fans of fractured fairy tales."
--Booklist "Vande Velde writes with the crisp diction of a practiced storyteller who knows her text will likely be read aloud."
--Bulletin "Princess-loving girls will be charmed by this story."
--School Library Journal --