Sorry- I couldn't help it! The Proposal is one of my very favorite movies! And every time I hear the word "Tlingit"- I think of Betty White's character in that movie, who supposedly was part Tlingit! God bless her!
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kimmel, Erik A. 1994. THE FROG PRINCESS: A TLINGIT LEGEND FROM ALASKA. Ill. by Rosanne Litzinger. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-1618-9.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This retelling of the princess and the frog is set in the tribal life of Alaska. This high-brow village princess cannot be satisfied by any suitor. She runs away to the lake and joins the frog people. She marries a frog husband and has frog babies. The princess is happy in her new tribe, but her parents miss her terribly. The headman and his wife mourn their daughter, thinking she is dead. One day a traveler hears the princess singing with her frog family and passes the news onto the village headman. The headman summons the frog chief and begs for his daughter back. He even threatens to dry up the lake. To avoid war, the princess rejoins her human family. Although her parents are happy, the princess is sad. Even after a shaman de-frogs her, the princess still longs for her frog family. She eventually sneaks off to rejoin them to live happily ever after.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Alaskan Tlingit story is a delightful variation to the traditional princess and frog tale. Instead of being deceived or disgusted by the frog, the princess knowingly and willingly joins the frog tribe. The ‘prince’ figure presents himself as a man first, and then becomes a frog. It’s as if the animal version of the individual is greater or even more superior than the human version.
Another distinguishing difference in this princess tale is that the story does not focus on a romantic love between a princess and a prince, but instead it highlights the love the princess has for her frog family. The frog people are described as handsome and welcoming.
The respectful perspective on the frogs seems to be a relevant reflection of the way the native Alaskans view and treat nature.
4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist, May 2006- “The story… is gracefully told, and preschoolers will enjoy the shape-shifting magic and cultural details, which are extended in the uncluttered paintings of villagers in Tlingit costume.”
Kirkus Reviews, 2006
School Library Journal,
5. CONNECTIONS
*This story can be combined with other native tales like Totem Tale by Deb Vanasse or The Hungry Giant of the Tundra by Teri Sloat for a unit on Alaska.
*Other Princess and Frog stories to compare/contrast:
Princess Frog: a Burmese folktale by Olivia Thetgyi
The Frog Princess by J. Patrick Lewis set in Russia, ISBN 9780803716230
and The Frog Princess by Jan Ormerod, ISBN 9780340873724
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