Tales of the Frog Princess Books In Order

Publication Order of The Tales of the Frog Princess Books

Tales of the Frog Princess is a series of novels typically referred to as Fractured Fairy Tales following from the popular cartoon series Rocky and His Friends by Jay Ward. The series of novels is written by Elizabeth Dawson Baker otherwise known as E.D Baker, one of the most popular writers in the Fantasy & Science Fiction, Children, and Young Adult genres. Baker made her debut as a professional writer with the novel, The Frog Princess. With a novel published each year since 2002, the series took a hiatus in 2010 after the publishing of the eighth title only to return with the tenth in 2017. The lead character in the novels is Emeralda who goes by the moniker Emma. Emma is the heir and princess of the Greater Greensward kingdom and a fledgling witch, who does yet have full control of her magical powers. The novels follow the main character and several other characters over a series of sequels and prequels that paint the story of the magical powers in Emma’s family. Over the course of the series, Baker introduces members of the family such as Aunt Grassina, Emma’s daughter Millie, her mother Queen Chartreuse, and her love interest Eadric. While these are novels written for children between the age of 10 and 14, E.D Baker’s wacky human and animal characters and trademark humor means that even adults can find some enjoyment in them.

The Frog Princess series of novels has been one of the most popular novels by E.D Baker. The series received so much commercial and critical success that it went on to be adapted for TV. The Princess and the Frog, an animated romantic musical comedy fantasy drama film produced in 2009 by Walt Disney, is loosely based on the first novel in the series, The Frog Princess. The series has received positive reviews from critics with Publishers Weekly praising its comical scenes and peppy dialogue. The plots of the novels make good use of the magical elements and Shakespearean type of comedy which make for some entertaining narratives that can be read by adults and children alike. The pacing of the stories is quite good and while a happy ending is predictable in such types of novels, Baker manages to make the tribulations and trials that come before the endings quite enjoyable. The five novels in the Frog Princess series are more of novellas and offer some breezy, light reading for young adults or for anyone that likes the anthropomorphic novel. You can buy these tales in a box set that comprises the first three books as a paperback in the United States and as a thick paperback if you go for the British edition.

The lead character, Emma aka Emeralda is not your ideal princess, lacking the mannerisms and grace that would be expected of a person of her social standing. She could be best described as tomboy looking 14-year-old girl from the mystical kingdom of Greater Greensward. When first introduced, she has just learnt that she is the next line to be the protector of the kingdom. According to tradition, a young princess from each successive generation will inherit magical powers to become a Green Witch that protects the kingdom from external conquest. However, when it is the turn of Emma, it is not that simple as given the history of inept inheritors in her lineage, which also translates to her. Over the course of the novels, Emma travels back and forth in time trying to undo the wide range of curses and mistakes, which were committed by her progenitors, while still learning how to use the magical powers now bestowed on her. Her close friends and family including Aunt Grassina, and her fiancé Eadric, all play a crucial role in her adventurous quest to become an expert Green Witch.

The first novel of The Tales of the Frog Princess series starts out with an explanation of why Emma the princess and Green Witch in waiting is a poor fit of what is expected of a princess. She trips over her own feet, and has a laugh that could best be compared to the braying of a donkey than the tinkling of bells. Moreover, she seems to be quite headstrong as she rejects the obnoxious Prince Jorge, whom her mother Queen Chartreuse wanted to marry her to, which is unheard of. Emma has always wanted to escape her problems, but she never wished that she would be rid of them through the circumstance of turning into a frog. A novice magician, she kisses a frog to turn him back into a prince (Eadric) and finds that the spell has been reversed. Instead of the frog turning into a prince, Emma turns into a frog. What follows is a fascinating tale of the two as they seek to turn back into humans again. This remarkable narrative offers a range of hilarious and fascinating characters from the wise green witch, a surprisingly loyal snake, and a friendly yet self-conscious bat that make for a crazy story.

The second novel in the The Tales of the Frog Princess series is Dragon’s Breath, a sequel to The Frog Princess. After a long struggle trying to make sense of her magical powers, Emma and Eadric have finally managed to turn back into human form. But Queen Chartreuse, Emma’s mother is in a state of panic, leaving Aunt Grassina as the only person they could turn to. However, Aunt Grassina has recently discovered that her true love had been mistakenly turned into an otter, and is now distracted with trying to free him. With no guiding hands, Emma is so out of her depth with her powers that she even sends herself into a dark dungeon unintentionally. Given the instability in the kingdom, the neighboring hostile kingdom knows there will be no better moment to attack. Now Emma has to do all in her power to get Grassina’s mind back to the important task of securing the kingdom. If she cannot get through to her aunt, the kingdom of Greater Greensward will surely be lost. From fire breathing dragons to undersea monsters, the couple manages to cajole, sweet talk, and finally attain the all-important victory. But will Emma’s new found confidence and knowledge of the magic last?