FROGKISSER!

Narrator Marisa Calin has a marvelous way of interpreting this story's characters--human, animal, and fantastical. Calin expresses Princess Anya's conflicted emotions as she becomes a heroine. Anya's unwillingness to be distracted from her studies is transplanted by horror at her evil stepfather's plans to transform her sister's suitor from a frog to a prince. Facing nonstop challenges, Anya embarks on a quest that brims with intriguing characters, many of whom have a fairy-tale familiarity. Calin enlivens each, beginning with Ardent, Anya's faithful hound. Calin melds barking, panting, and speech to bring out the comedy of the overzealous, food-oriented dog. With similar tongue-in-cheek humor, Calin also takes on the booming voice of the giant, the brogue of the seven dwarfs, and gentle wisdom of Merlin. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]