Matt Novak Book My Froggy Valentine

Book Description
FOUR FROGS, FOUR KISSES, ONE TRU LOVE. Valentine's Day with a twist in this clever novelty. When Princess Polly wishes for the perfect Valentine's Day prince, four frogs rise to the challenge. Will any of them prove the frog of her dreams? As each hops up for a smooch, he is indeed turned into a prince--just not the right one. When the princess puckers up for the fourth time, however, the frog remains a frog--but it's the princess who begins to change. Die-cut pages really change frogs into princes and back again in this ingenious novelty book.
Reviews
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Novak has great fun as he tweaks the traditional tale of the Frog Prince. When lonely Princess Polly longs to meet her perfect prince, four frogs are listening. The first claims he will turn into a prince if she kisses him. Unfortunately, it is the prince of trolls that he becomes. He wishes her a Happy Valentine's Day as he leaves. The second frog also requests a kiss but turns into the prince of goblins and also leaves with a Happy Valentine's day wish. The tired princess tries a kiss with the third frog, only to produce the prince of hairy beasts, who gives her the same farewell. The fourth, with a kiss, stays a frog, the prince of all frogs. It is the princess who changes into a frog for the happy ending. This hand-size comic parody is set as on a stage, with an arched opening cut into the cover, looking beyond the cut-out princes to the cut-out frogs inside. All the characters are cartoons, with round eyes and silly grins. As each of the first four pages is turned, the frog cut-out on that page is transformed and moves over to join the princess. Visible across the page bottoms but not in the text are other critters playing out their own drama. In the final scene, however, they join the bridal party, tossing rice at the happy couple.