Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales

Written by Emily Jenkins
Illustrated by Rohan Daniel Eason

Disney, Hollywood, and others sometimes miss the fact that beneath the silliness and hype is often a very good story. This wonderful new book tells those stories again and attempts to get back to something of the original flavor.

Seven tales, most of them familiar to the reader, at least in some form, take place in a world of the author’s imagination. Included are Snow White, The Frog Prince, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and three tales of lesser renown. Each tale has in common a frozen forest where many things happen. The first lesser known tale is about three wishes granted to a starving woodcutter and his family. Of course he uses the wishes foolishly, but it comes out all right in the end. The second tale is about a generous girl who ends up with a reward of pearls and a stingy girl who gets only toads. The last lesser known tale is about a man who loves a foolish girl. Before he can marry her, he must convince himself that there are even more foolish people in the world.

Delightful watercolor and ink illustrations introduce each tale and set the stage for how the tales unfold.

This would be an interesting resource for classrooms, where teachers could use the tales as read alouds or to help students hone their own storytelling skills. Or in a home to use for together time and bedtime.

  • Brave Red Smart FrogTitle: Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales
  • Author: Emily Jenkins
  • Illustrator: Rohan Daniel Eason
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2017
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska                                                     
  • Format: Hardcover, 104 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, Folk tales
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6558-6

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