If you fell in love with Princess Emma and Prince Eadric in the original series, this book is for you! When Adara, a princess claiming to be Emma's cousin, arrives it creates problems for the family. Emma and Eadric's love is put to the test. E.D. Baker has a way of writing that not only appeals to middle grade girls but quietly teaches them lessons on friendship, loyalty, bravery, and love. I always recommend Baker's books to our young patrons!!

The Frog Princess Returns by E.D. Baker is a return to the Frog Princess series, in fact it is the ninth book for those keeping track.Two weeks after Emma's birthday, Prince Eadric—having been turned from a frog into a human again—is still in Greater Greensward. One day, a beautiful princess named Adara arrives at the castle in Greater Greensward for a visit, claiming to be Emma's distant cousin. But Adara has other motives that threaten Emma and Eadric's blossoming romance. Meanwhile, something is very wrong in Greater Greensward. Crops are dying, streams are drying up, and large sections of trees in the enchanted forest are withering—all because the Fairy Queen has disappeared. Without her, there is no peace in the magical kingdom, and dangerous foes threaten to take advantage of her absence. Only brave, tenacious Emma with her knowledge of the land can restore order but first she must set out on a journey unlike any before.

The Frog Princess Returns is an entertaining return to the world of the Frog Princess. Emma and Eadric are dealing with a princess attempting to win Eadric's attention and a crisis in the fairy population. The queen is missing, and in the attempts to choose a new leader there is chaos and deceit. The group needs to get the bottom of the fairy problems, which is much more complex than they were quite prepared for. I loved watching Emma and Eadric work together and talk things out together. The journey they took was well done, with plenty of new dangers and characters, letting new readers and faithful fans enjoy the read equally. There are plenty of references to the previous books so returning readers can remember past adventures, but newcomers or those that have missed a book or two in the series will not be left behind. It was an enjoyable read that was more complex than I expected, and I love that kind of surprise. It was a joy to read.

The Frog Princess Returns is a fun continuation of the series, with a fun combination of adventure and character growth. Fans of the series, and the author, will want to pick this one up.

This was definitely a nostalgia trip for me as I read the previous 8 books as a pre-teen/teen. This new installment has the same charm of the older books and presents both familiar and new characters.

4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up.

I've enjoyed the Tales of the Frog Princess series ever since I read them back shortly after they were first published so I was thrilled to hear that there was another book coming out in the series! The Frog Princess Returns doesn't disappoint! Fans of the series will love this latest story.

While it didn't have that extra little pizzazz I need for a 5-star rating, it's a strong 4.5. There's intrigue, secrets, mystery, fairies, dragons, and adventure. What more could you want in a story?

All of our favorite characters have returned and we've added a few new people, such as Princess Adara who's on a mission. The characters are well-developed, fun, and easy to like. The settings are magical with just enough descriptions that you can imagine them easily.

The story line moves along at a decent pace and there's a twist in the end that even though I didn't necessarily like the character to begin with, I didn't see the twist coming!

If you've read the series before now, this does not take place at the end of the series. This takes place earlier in the series. Emma and Eadric aren't married yet, but they've had some of their early adventures. I'd place it right around the time of book three.

It's a great addition to the series and whether you're finding this series for the first time or are just excited about the new story, I highly recommend this one! So much fun!

*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. ***

I read The Frog Princess Returns as part of the official blog tour. This is the resulting interview.

E.D. Baker excited to revisit Frog Princess for 15th anniversary

E.D. Baker is no stranger to writing. The author of more than 15 books for young readers, including the Tales of the Frog Princess series, discovered writing in elementary school, and never looked back.

“I lose all track of time when I’m writing and I look forward to it every day,” E.D. told Cracking the Cover. “Writing books was what I wanted to do more than anything, and I’m so happy that I get to do it!”

While E.D. has lots of reasons for wanting to write for young readers, she says the most motivating is creating books that even reluctant readers want to read.

“The very best letters I receive from fans tell me that they didn’t like to read before they discovered my books, but now they love it!” she said. “I’ve received countless letters from parents telling me that this is true of their own child, which makes me very happy.”

In 2002, Bloomsbury USA Childrens published E.D.’s first middle-grade novel, The Frog Princess. The book was an immediate success with readers, and it inspired Disney’s animated movie The Princess and the Frog.

When E.D. first imagined the book, she had no idea that it would become so popular. “It was the first book I’d ever had published, and I was thrilled,” E.D. said. “I didn’t even guess that it might have a bright future until soon after it came out when I heard that Disney wanted to option it for a movie.”

Since then, E.D. has written a total of nine Tales of the Frog Princess books, the most recent, The Frog Princess Returns, released June 6.

“I wrote The Frog Princess Returns to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of The Frog Princess,” E.D. said. “I love the characters from the series and I knew there was one thing left for them to do. The story takes place between Once Upon a Curse (book 3) and No Place for Magic (book 4). I think this new book fits in very well.”

E.D. says revisiting the series was easy. “I felt at home writing the book because I knew the characters and the kingdom so well. It was like revisiting old friends who I never stopped loving.”

The author does admit, though, that her confidence has grown since she first penned The Frog Princess. “When I wrote The Frog Princess, I just started writing without an outline,” she said. “Now before I begin writing, I start with what I call pre-writing — creating outlines of increasing depth and detail, a timeline, character studies, and a map if necessary. This helps me focus and keep on track when I do start writing so I know what comes next and don’t go off on any unnecessary tangents.”

E.D. just completed the first draft of a new series, More Than a Princess, slated to publish winter 2019. She’s now working on something very different — lots of magic and no princesses. “Although it is contemporary, and begins in our world, it spends little time here,” she said. “I’m having a great time writing it. When I finish this, I have a lot of other stories that I look forward to writing. Some will have princesses, some won’t, but they will all have magic!

E. D. Baker was my absolute favorite author as a child. The Frog Princess was read to my fifth grade class, and it's how I bonded with my best friend for the first time. Needless to say, I cried when I realized there was going to be another book! I was super excited to receive this galley. This book was my first retelling ever, and we all know how I love retellings.
She did not disappoint and I'm so happy.