A complete knock off of The Princess and The Frog story’s but with a slight twist at the end and I just found it stupid.
It tried to be funny, but it wasn’t and I found myself rolling my eyes as I read it.
Not a story I’ll be sharing with my daughter - stick with the original story.

I think my son will love this book, it’s very adorable! The art is very pretty, and I like that in the beginning it shares some information about how penguins are so clean and proud. I think that was supposed to hint at them being prince-like? I thought Philippe was going to be different than the other penguins, but he was just chatty!

It felt just a little disorganized. I felt like I kept getting led to conclusions that didn’t follow through. When Philippe was said to be “different” I thought it was a story about it being ok to be yourself even if you’re different. When the author specified that Philippe was spilling Walley and Louie’s secret, I thought perhaps we were getting a cute story about a couple of gay penguins and how it’s k to be yourself. Even though it was later specified as the “secret of the penguins” being the secret, I thought it would be about acceptance in one form or another.

It felt like the explorers were marked as “evil kidnappers” and the scientists were “good guys” who treated the penguins kindly. I had to giggle at the fact that the scientists are essentially Stockholm syndrome-ing the penguins. I know no child is going to read into it like that, I’m just sharing because it made me giggle!

I love love love that the kiss that turned Philippe into a prince was a forehead kiss!!!! So sweet, so wholesome! We don’t need romance to be kisses on the lips and love can be as sweet as a forehead kiss and showing compassion when another being is sad. This is a fantastic message <3

This fairy tale is strange and different and interesting and I love it! From now on, I’ll make sure to only kiss penguins!

I was a little sad while reading the author’s note, because the book is very “girl” centric, and I’m looking for more books that are inclusive. Don’t get me wrong - the scientist being a girl is freaking awesome, and Philippe being a boy is not a -problem-
I enjoyed that the author’s note gave some more information about penguins, but I think there rather than “young girls” she could have said “young children” and included princes in the mix too!
(I did not take a star away for that, to be clear.)

Such a sweet and fun read! The pictures were adorable too. This was a great spin on The Princess and the Frog.

A delightful story! This book about Phillipe the penguin is adorable. A twist on the typical princess and the frog! The illustrations are cute too. I think this will be perfect for my 7 & 4 year old grandkids!

This is such a sweet, fun fairytale, with a delightful spin on the classic tale of the ‘Princess and the Frog’. My children were thoroughly captivated and so very surprised by the ‘secret’ revealed towards the end. The illustrations are charming and delightful. This lovely book would be a wonderful gift for any children who enjoy fairytales.

With thanks to BooksGoSocial for the digital review copy, via NetGalley. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

This was a funny little book with cute illustration. I am more inclined to kiss a penguin than a frog, that's for sure.

I was disappointed in the illustration for this book. I thought it would be a lot better. It was a cute story overall.

This book would be good for little girls. My son likes penguins and liked the pictures but didn't understand the story.
Even as an adult when I got to the end I was like hmmm that actually would make sense! Hahaha

Cute little book, and the pictures were cute. I’m sure kids would enjoy listening to it, just like any princess and the toad remake.

A cute twist on the fairytale The Princess and the Frog but with Penguins because they look more dashing/princely. I liked the message of waiting to find someone who treats you right, the story was sweet and the art was beautiful

This is the story of the princess and the frog, except that the frog is a penguin. From the title and the cover, I was not expecting this type of story.

I liked the idea behind this book but it was one that we read once and my daughter didn't want to read again and as a parent I wasn't a massive fan of the story.

It was an "ok" read. We did smile as the books talks about the look of penguins and we had to agree, they do look rather smart and dashing. The book had a twist to the story that was ok, a bit of a surprise but I much prefer the original fairytale of the princess and the frog.

The illustrations were ok, not stand out for me and that I feel will hinder people picking this over others, in what is a really saturated market for children's book.

It is 3 stars from me for this one - a twist on the normal fairytale

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a very unique and interesting take on the princess and the frog. I liked the creative angle; it’s true penguins do look way more princely. It was strange to me and my 3yo just because we weren’t expecting the turn of events with the penguin, but it was entertaining!

Know Your Worth

I definitely agree the tone of this book is written specifically to little girls. I believe the message can still apply towards boys as well. A conversation with any child afterwards about treating people right and essentially not settling for just any treatment from people, but knowing their self-worth.

This book reminded me of a gender spin on the Swan Princess.

“There may be a prince in your future, but it surely won’t come from kissing a frog or penguin. It will come from a person who treats you like the princess you are!” -Judith M. Ackerman

I received a free copy of this book from Judith M. Ackerman and BooksGoSocial. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

The Secret of the Penguins is a twist on fairytales that say if you kiss a frog, it could turn into a prince. Phillippe was a penguin with rizz. He ends up separated from home and cared for by a kind woman. Surprise surprise, Phillipe is actually a prince! The illustrations are cute; I especially enjoyed Phillipe in penguin form.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This book is such a cute read. It is written for a bit of an older age group than my son but I think he would enjoy it purely for the illustrations. The writing is very well done and I loved the secret reveal. Philipe is a very cute character and in a way relatable.

This was such a cute book, I love the artwork. The story of the penguins magic was so fun.
My kids loved this book, they said they liked the cute penguins and how Phillippe turned in to a prince at the end.

A beautifully illustrated tale of penguins and a special secret they hold, that few know.

Now who doesn’t love a penguin?

Well, here is a tale inspired by the author’s love of fairy tales, the majestic posture and nature of penguins combined with her creative imagination.

My older grandchildren have loved sharing this book with me. The penguins are well drawn and bring these wonderful creatures to life. Philippe is a real star.

The book is a magical one and delivers the story with clarity and in a memorable way.
The revelation of the secret is a surprise and for me seems to interrupt a wider story. The deeper realities of the plight of penguins could have been referenced, a missed opportunity to my mind.
Others may find fault with the link to kissing a frog to become a prince. That would be churlish however, you can’t just redact the history of literature.

This book builds on tradition with a glint in the author’s eye and a dash of poetic licence.