Once Upon a Toad

February 27, 2012
In this humorous, quick-moving story, Frederick (the Mother-Daughter Book Club series) delivers a contemporary update of Perrault’s classic fairy tale Toads and Diamonds. In contrast to the original, this version has kind and self-reliant 12-year-old Cat Starr stuck spewing toads from her mouth while her unpleasant stepsister, Olivia, emits showers of flowers and precious gems every time she talks. After Cat’s astronaut mother gets sent to the International Space Station, Cat goes to live with her remarried father and his family, which ignites sisterly rivalry. When the girls start spitting toads and diamonds, Cat discovers that it’s the work of her eccentric Great-Aunt Abyssinia, who is actually an “occupationally challenged fairy godmother.” The girls’ talents attract media attention, through which Frederick offers gentle commentary on the dark side of celebrity, leading to the kidnapping of Cat’s half-brother. The slapstick nature of the story translates well to modern-day middle school; kidnapping aside, Frederick plays up the physical comedy and focuses on the fun, as well as the gradually defrosting relationship between Cat and Olivia. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

March 1, 2012
There's a certain attractive ick factor about a girl who spews out toads every time she speaks, but is it enough to sustain a novel? Since her mother, an astronaut, is in space, Cat has been sent to spend the rest of the school year with her father, his wife and her two step siblings. Olivia, aka Miss Prissy Pants, is her own age, and more likable Geoffrey is just 3. After ample angst--the two diametrically opposite girls can't stand each other--and a visit from Cat's decidedly odd great-aunt Abyssinia, the pair wake up with strange new problems. When Olivia opens her mouth, jewels and flower petals fall out, but poor Cat just produces toads. Geoffrey is kidnapped by someone eager to get at Olivia's jewels, and the two girls are forced to flee, seeking some resolution for their multitude of issues. Can their related afflictions make them overcome their numerous differences? The saving grace, beyond the charming toads, is that Cat is very attractively mouthy, and her narration is fresh and funny. The pace never lets up, but only readers capable of truly suspending disbelief will buy the many convenient coincidences needed to make the plot work. This appealing fairy tale is fun, fast paced and more than just a little bit foolish. (Fantasy. 10-15)

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May 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-In this re-imagining of "Toads and Diamonds," Catriona Starr's astronaut mom gets called up for a space mission with little notice, forcing the 12-year-old to spend three months with her father and stepfamily in Oregon. Not long after her arrival, Cat starts spitting up frogs every time she speaks. To add insult to injury, her stepsister, "Miss Prissy Pants" Olivia, is spitting flowers and diamonds. Within days, they have criminals and government agents after them, and Cat has to find a way out of the mess, toads and all. The girls' characters are fleshed out well: Cat is a bassoon-playing, outdoors-loving girl, and Olivia, a tap-dancing, aspiring interior designer, is her perfect foil. They are complemented by charming supporting roles, including eccentric great aunt Abyssinia and their younger brother Geoffrey, aka "Barf Bucket," who might be the only thing Cat and Olivia have in common. When he is kidnapped, the girls embark on a crazy adventure to rescue him. The plot takes many twists, some more predictable than others, and the story is well written and paced. For fans of fantasy and fairy tales, this is a gem.-Ricca Gaus, New York Public Library

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
After complaining to eccentric Great-Aunt Abyssinia about nasty, name-calling stepsister Olivia, twelve-year-old Cat wakes up one morning and starts spitting out toads. Whether she's speaking, singing, or playing the bassoon in her school's talent show, a toad pops out every time she opens her mouth. To make things worse, Olivia is similarly affected, except that instead of toads, she produces flowers and diamonds. Olivia's status as "the diamond girl" makes her an instant celebrity -- and an easy target. So when kidnappers steal their little brother, demanding Olivia in return, it's up to the jewel- and amphibian-spewing stepsisters to get him back. In this enjoyable twist on a Charles Perrault fairy tale -- in the original, it's the evil stepsister who's cursed with toads -- Frederick keeps readers entertained with an action-packed, zany plot and an even wackier cast: a bald Elvis impersonator, a tough-but-kind diner waitress (whose updo looks like "she'd set her hair dryer control to stun'"), and enormous, colorful, RV-driving, mind-reading Great-Aunt Aby. In the midst of the craziness, Cat is a dryly witty, grounded protagonist; except for a few (toadally) understandable freak-outs, she stays focused and determined. As the fearless "Cat Starr, Toad Huntress," she creates the requisite happy ending: ingeniously saving her brother; accepting Aby, her newly found fairy godmother; and forging a relationship with her stepsister, warts and all. rachel l. smith

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
Twelve-year-old Cat complains to her eccentric great-aunt about her nasty, name-calling stepsister Olivia; the next morning Cat starts spitting out toads, while Olivia produces flowers and diamonds. When kidnappers steal their little brother, demanding "the diamond girl" Olivia in return, it's up to the enchanted stepsisters to get him back. Cat is a dryly witty, grounded protagonist in an action-packed, zany plot with an even wackier cast.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)