The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend from Alaska

Bibliography
Kimmell, Eric A. 2006 The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend from Alaska. Ill. By Rosanne Litzinger. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823416186

Plot Summary

The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend from Alaska is a story of a girl who is unhappy with any of the men who court her. As the daughter of the headman in the village, she is courted by many yet rejects them all proclaiming “I would soon marry a frog from our lake”. The night after her surprising statement, a handsome young man with “slightly bulging eyes and unusually long fingers” sweeps her off her feet and into the home of the Frog People. There, she marries the young man and lives happily among her new -found family. The headman searches for his daughter to no avail, finally holding a funeral feast to mourn her. Soon, a traveler comes to the human village and asks to speak to the headmaster. He tells a strange story of a beautiful girl near the lake surrounded by frogs. The headmaster realizes that the girl must be his daughter. He visits the lake and demands that the chief of the Frog People return his daughter. Threatened by war, the Frog Chief returns the girl. The girl cannot speak when she is returned. The village shaman treats her and soon she speaks again. She wants her father to let her return to her husband and children but he refuses. The girl soon disappears, along with all the frogs in the lake, never to be found again.

Critical Analysis

This is a beautiful tale teaching the lesson that it is important to follow your heart. This story combines the fairy tale and beast tale to create a surprising story. This folktale is unique in that the girl transforms into a frog instead of the male frog transforming into a human prince. Unlike Grimm’s version, there is no magical spell cast on the young daughter. The daughter falls in love with someone that her family does not approve of which happens to families in every culture. This causes her to change, or transform , into someone that her family can no longer understand. In the author’s note at the end, Kimmell explains, “Stories of transformations from human to animal and animal to human can be found all over the world.” In this folktale, there is an attempt to explain what has happened to a daughter who has gone her own way without her family’s blessing.

Litzinger’s use of opaque and transparent watercolors on paper provide beautiful illustrations for this folktale. The use of red for the headman and his wife signifies their importance in the village. Litzinger explains in the artist’s note that she used yellow for the daughter’s clothing to signify the fact that she was misunderstood the rest of her family. The illustrations reflect nature at a time that was supposed to be simpler. However, the story reveals that people today often have the same problems as people from long ago.

Review Excerpts

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4–In this variant of a Tlingit legend, the headman's beautiful daughter rejects all suitors, proclaiming to one who has slightly bulging eyes, Why I would sooner marry a frog from our lake! That night, a handsome stranger with slightly bulging eyes and long fingers leads her down a row of steps under the lake surface to join the Frog People. The rest of the story relates how her parents try to get her back.

Library Media Connection

This is a mesmerizing legend to be enjoyed by all. The illustrations are bold and colorful, enhancing the story. An artist's note explains that the colors used in the illustrations are meaningful to the Tlingit culture and that to some indigenous peoples, frogs were heralds of abundance and strongly connected to water and the moon, as well as emotions. This book would be an excellent choice to compare with other versions of the same story.

Kirkus

The story is gracefully told and there is limited use of Tlingit imagery in the animal headdresses worn by some male figures. The illustrator explains that the princess's untraditional yellow robe is a way to show the young woman's individualism.

Connections

Author’s website: http://ericakimmel.com/

Teaching Guides can be found here: http://www.ericakimmel.com/guides.htm

Books on the Tlingit Culture

How Raven Stole the Sun by Maria Williams ISBN 0789201631
Tlingit, Their Art, Culture and Legends by Dan Kaiper ISBN 0888390106
Tlingit Tales, Potlach and Totem Pole by Lorie K. Harris ISBN 0879611537

Schlessinger Media Videos: The Animated Tales of the World Series is an excellent source of 39 folktales from around the world. This wonderful series is geared toward students in grades 3-6. http://www.libraryvideo.com/company_info/pr_temp.asp?prd=191

Schlessinger Media provides a study guide of the video Alaska: Raven Steals the Daylighthttp://www.libraryvideo.com/guides/V6941.pdf