Would you kiss a frog - even if it was a talking frog? No? Well, Ella didn’t feel like kissing one either. No matter that this frog had once been a prince who would be a king someday, and could offer her the life of a pampered princess – she wasn’t tempted, not even for a second!
When the prince described his former life, Ella was even less tempted. It turned out that the prince used to spend most of his day at the castle studying etiquette, warfare, international finances and languages. Ella didn’t think that sounded very interesting. Neither was she at all interested in wearing fancy dresses that had to be kept clean and unwrinkled everyday.
Ella and the frog became good friends, and soon, the he had to agree that Ella’s life (swimming and splashing about in the water, getting dirty in the sand and mud, exploring the world around her, playing hopscotch and other games) was much more fun than life at the castle.
Just as the frog began to forget about being a prince, however, a royal courtier arrived to take him home in a fancy horse-drawn carriage (no matter that he was still a frog, having been unsuccessful in finding anyone to kiss him).
But after a couple of weeks, he returned in the carriage, again asking Ella for a kiss. And this time, Ella agreed – to give a kiss of friendship - which un-enchanted the frog … and led to a surprising conclusion.
This untraditional retelling of The Frog Prince will delight children and keep them guessing until the end, and Brooke Kerrigan’s fun, expressive illustrations truly enhance this very entertaining story.
Kiss Me! (I’m a Prince!) is Thunder Bay resident (and former CBC radio host) Heather McLeod’s first book.