Tuesday 25 March 2014

The Legend of Frog by Guy Bass

I read this with my 7-year-old daughter over several bedtimes. She really enjoyed it wanting more each time, and laughing out loud at funny bits in the story. She said, “He goes on an amazing adventure to the end of the world, but he finds out it’s not really the end of the world. My favourite part was when Frog went to see the princess, because she has a funny voice.”

The story starts (once upon the end of the world…) with Frog stuck on an island at the edge of the end of the world. Frog has “bright, mottled green skin, bulbous yellow eyes, and not a single hair on his head.” Basically he is like a talking frog, except he has a destiny to fulfill, what with him being the “Royal Majesty, Lord of all Kingdoms, Rightful Ruler of the World… Prince Frog.”

So he ventures into the end of the world which turns out to be the not-so ended world, the fate of which is in his hands when he comes up against the Kroakans, aliens that are frog-like like him but want to bring the world to an end. This is the part where Frog must decide his fate which is intertwined with that of the world's.

My daughter enjoyed it very much and found it funny, so it comes highly recommended. The humour comes from the surreal-ness of situations, e.g. having a sheep as a trusty steed, and the characters, e.g. a barbarian who has a catchphrase. I never did master the Kroakan language bits though and didn't feel every chapter heading needed a Kroakan translation along with the English, not that I knew until half-way, but that is a small thing.

Amazon UK Link: THE LEGEND OF FROG

Publication date: 10 Jan 2014

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