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December 28, 2011 gustation No comments

Kindergarten-Grade 3-An entertaining version of "The Frog Prince" with a Texas twist. Reba Jo spends her days alone, playing her guitar or riding the lonesome prairie roping everything in sight. One day, her new cowgirl hat blows off and lands at the bottom of a dried-up well. A pudgy horned toad, seeing Reba Jo's predicament, offers to bring her the hat in exchange for "tres peque-os favors": some chili, a song, and a nap in her hat. The text is interspersed with 25 Spanish words and short phrases easily identified in italics and smoothly defined within the text. A word list with a pronunciation guide is appended. Airbrushed, luminous artwork is reminiscent of the work of Berkeley Breathed in its exaggeration and energy; the perspective, with various slants and angles, makes each illustration a treat. The characters, bursting from their confinement within the frames, will evoke smiles. For example, after eating chili, the sated toad rests on a red chili pepper, one leg draped over the side of the bowl, while splatters of tomato sauce and kidney beans stain the pages. The humorous tale ends as the toad-now-turned-prince thanks Reba Jo for the kiss that freed him from the spell he was under and prepares to leave. The last page reveals the girl wordlessly twirling her lasso to capture the unwary prince, while the red sun sets in the west.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.