#781 of 1001 · September 20, 2022

Today I present Kathy-Jo Wargin and Anne Yvonne Gilbert’s elegant version of The Frog Prince. A princess promises a frog that he may be her companion if he retrieves her precious golden ball from the bottom of a well. Though she tries to avoid making good on her end of the bargain, her father the king commands her to welcome the little amphibian into the castle. Finally, forced to allow the frog into her bedchamber, she loses her temper and throws him against the wall, only to see him transform into a prince. Wargin’s faithful adaptation of the Grimms’ language is well complemented by Gilbert’s refined drawings. A note for folklore enthusiasts: the Brothers Grimm originally titled this tale “Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich”, which translates to “The Frog King or Iron Heinrich”. Fascinatingly, in the first edition of Kinder- und Hausmärchen, the Grimms included a similar tale called “Der Froschprinz” (“The Frog Prince”). Nothing remains of that other tale except the title and the detail (mentioned once by Wargin on the first page and then utterly forgotten) of the princess having two older sisters. #frog #prince #princess #well #king #castle #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks