In this artistic old-school, black-and-white graphic novel
from the Toon Books imprint of Candlewick Press, siblings Leah and Alan awaken
in an enchanted forest and have to depend upon each other and the occasional
sayings of a talking stone frog to guide them home. Along the way they
encounter a woman who keeps giant bees as pets, lions dressed up as eighteenth
century gentry who ride around on giant rabbits, buildings that literally talk,
and several other strange and bizarre sights. Will Leah and Alan ever return
home again?
THE SECRET OF THE STONE FROG is written in a whimsical style
that is strongly reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH
THE LOOKING GLASS. For instance, the female beekeeper bares and uncanny
resemblance to the Queen of Hearts (just look at that giant head). The story is
interesting enough and the beautifully rendered illustrations are sure to keep
children entertained.
However, there are two major flaws with THE SECRET OF THE
STONE FROG. The first is that it is so derivative of other children’s stories,
there is very little originality in the story itself. The situations and
characters are different, yet they evoke memories of other stories you read as
a child once upon a time. Derivation isn’t a bad thing, but the excess amount
of it in the story spoils what originality is found here.
The second major flaw is that neither Leah or Alan learn
anything on their journey. For instance, in ALICE IN WONDERLAND, Alice came
into her own and was able to stand against the Queen of Hearts and her
soldiers. Nothing of the sort happens to Leah and Alan. In fact, just before
the end of the siblings journey they find themselves running away from chaos
they are partially responsible by not having listened to the instructions given
them at the beginning of their journey. By the time the siblings come to the
end of their journey, other than the apparent experiences they have shared,
they are no different than when they began.
Overall, THE SECRET OF THE STONE FROG is a gorgeously
illustrated children’s graphic novel. The book will entertain young readers,
but the extreme derivation smothers the original elements of the tale and the
lack of any moral or character development prevents the book from being highly
recommended.
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