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The Prince and the Frog: A Story to Help Children Learn about Same-Sex Relationships
One day, Oskar and his sister Caroline meet a prince who was turned into a frog by an evil wizard. Only true love's kiss can break the spell - both Caroline and Oskar want to help, but which of them will be the frog prince's true love? This brightly illustrated, heart-warming take on a classic fairytale teaches children about same-sex relationships and attraction. Exploring what it means to be in a healthy, loving relationship, it encourages children to listen to others, be kind, and embrace diversity and equality. Ideal for children aged 3-7.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published April 19, 2018
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Olly Pike
6 booksOlly Pike is the Founder and Director of Pop'n'Olly (popnolly.com). His books and videos are being used in primary schools across the UK and beyond to help combat LGBT+ prejudice before it can begin to form.
Having been short-listed for a ‘National Diversity’, 'Gay Times Honours’ and 'British LGBT' award, Olly has also spoken in Parliament and London City Hall and has showcased his work at events such as 'The Children's Media Conference', 'Stonewall‘s Education For All Conference' and 'The NEU LGBT+ Educators Conference’.
In 2020 Olly made the UK‘s Pride Power List and in 2021 Olly was awarded an Attitude Pride Award.
In 2024 Olly was 'Highly Commended' at the Bank of London Rainbow Honours.
Olly has also created content for CBeebies, Tate Kids, Hopster TV and collaborated with numerous UK charities.
To date, Olly has distributed over 30,000 copies of his LGBT+ and equality inclusive books to children, parents and teachers around the world and the Pop’n’Olly YouTube channel continues to receive millions of views.
Having been short-listed for a ‘National Diversity’, 'Gay Times Honours’ and 'British LGBT' award, Olly has also spoken in Parliament and London City Hall and has showcased his work at events such as 'The Children's Media Conference', 'Stonewall‘s Education For All Conference' and 'The NEU LGBT+ Educators Conference’.
In 2020 Olly made the UK‘s Pride Power List and in 2021 Olly was awarded an Attitude Pride Award.
In 2024 Olly was 'Highly Commended' at the Bank of London Rainbow Honours.
Olly has also created content for CBeebies, Tate Kids, Hopster TV and collaborated with numerous UK charities.
To date, Olly has distributed over 30,000 copies of his LGBT+ and equality inclusive books to children, parents and teachers around the world and the Pop’n’Olly YouTube channel continues to receive millions of views.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 19, 2017
You know what we need? More LGBTQ fairy tales like this one, which is very gentle, and not preachy at all, just a cute tale of love and friendship, where instead of the princess kissing the front, the prince does.
And you know why we need to have this sort of book? We need to allow kids to know that there is nothing wrong with their feelings, that princes can fall in love with magical frogs that are really princes too.
And we need it not only for the youth out there that feel this way, but also for the kids that don't, so they know there is nothing wrong with it either.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
And you know why we need to have this sort of book? We need to allow kids to know that there is nothing wrong with their feelings, that princes can fall in love with magical frogs that are really princes too.
And we need it not only for the youth out there that feel this way, but also for the kids that don't, so they know there is nothing wrong with it either.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
April 23, 2018
I thought that this book was genuinely lovely and it is such a nice little tale. One day, Oskar and his sister Caroline meet a prince who was turned into a frog by an evil wizard. Only true love's kiss can break the spell - both Caroline and Oskar want to help, but which of them will be the frog prince's true love? The illustrations in the book are nice, sharp and bright and they really make the book. I thought this was a touching take on the classic children's fairy-tale that explains about same-sex relationships and it encourages children to listen to others, be kind, and embrace diversity and equality regardless of anyone's sexuality.
January 26, 2022
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC in return for an honest review from NetGalley.
I got this book as part of an effort to complete a reading bingo where I needed a retelling of a fairy tale, though I am also a fan of queer books for children. I did enjoy this book for the most part.
The art was simple and cute. It was wonderful to see a prince and princess that weren’t white. It was also wonderful to see a princess that saw something else for her life that wasn’t love (it was incredibly easy to read Caroline as asexual which was amazing!). Caroline and Oskar had different interests, but they respected each other. Neither of them was ever seen as superior to the other.
Oskar is a kind boy, one that tries to take care of others. His pursuits are much softer than his sisters. I didn’t think that he was blatantly more feminine, but if I read too much into it then he was. His sister liked adventures and climbing trees. He liked being quiet and staying safe. So while I liked that Caroline (think Brave) was allowed to have a personality, it made me sad to see Oskar as so feminine. I think that will alienate the more rough and tumble boys from being able to empathize with Oskar because he will be so different from them.
My only issue with how the story was told was one word choice. I understand that writing children’s books can be hard because of the limited vocabulary that a three year old would have. I can’t understand the use of “whilst” as a word choice for a 3-7 age group. Everything else makes perfect sense and is very easy to read, then bam that one word that would be out of place even in an adult book.
Those are my only two issues though and I had to stretch to find them. This book is amazingly cute and allows for a very gentle approach to two men being together. It also allowed girls to see themselves as something other than a wife or a mother, which is huge in my mind. This book will be wonderful for young girls and some young boys.
I got an ARC in return for an honest review from NetGalley.
I got this book as part of an effort to complete a reading bingo where I needed a retelling of a fairy tale, though I am also a fan of queer books for children. I did enjoy this book for the most part.
The art was simple and cute. It was wonderful to see a prince and princess that weren’t white. It was also wonderful to see a princess that saw something else for her life that wasn’t love (it was incredibly easy to read Caroline as asexual which was amazing!). Caroline and Oskar had different interests, but they respected each other. Neither of them was ever seen as superior to the other.
Oskar is a kind boy, one that tries to take care of others. His pursuits are much softer than his sisters. I didn’t think that he was blatantly more feminine, but if I read too much into it then he was. His sister liked adventures and climbing trees. He liked being quiet and staying safe. So while I liked that Caroline (think Brave) was allowed to have a personality, it made me sad to see Oskar as so feminine. I think that will alienate the more rough and tumble boys from being able to empathize with Oskar because he will be so different from them.
My only issue with how the story was told was one word choice. I understand that writing children’s books can be hard because of the limited vocabulary that a three year old would have. I can’t understand the use of “whilst” as a word choice for a 3-7 age group. Everything else makes perfect sense and is very easy to read, then bam that one word that would be out of place even in an adult book.
Those are my only two issues though and I had to stretch to find them. This book is amazingly cute and allows for a very gentle approach to two men being together. It also allowed girls to see themselves as something other than a wife or a mother, which is huge in my mind. This book will be wonderful for young girls and some young boys.
June 7, 2018
We need better LGBT books. Period. For children, for adults, for teens...scratch that. There are actually some very good quality LGBT books out for teens now, although it certainly wouldn't hurt to have more. But this book is just another example of a book that seems to have been published for its diversity without actually being much good.
The good points: the characters are not white, it's LGBT positive, the princess is joyfully independent.
The bad points: the language is stilted and awkward, the author has some strange word choices (whilst, but also face-palmed?), the end feels very "the moral of the story is...," the art looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint, and the layout of art and text is inconsistent and even jarring at times. At one point, there's an illustration on a two-page spread with no words whatsoever, but it comes before the full two-page spread of nothing but text that describes the scene and how the characters got there.
Basically, this book was on point with the diversity, but not much else. I wish I could recommend it, but I just can't. If you're looking for good LGBT children's books, the best ones in my arsenal right now are Worm Loves Worm and Stella Brings the Family.
The good points: the characters are not white, it's LGBT positive, the princess is joyfully independent.
The bad points: the language is stilted and awkward, the author has some strange word choices (whilst, but also face-palmed?), the end feels very "the moral of the story is...," the art looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint, and the layout of art and text is inconsistent and even jarring at times. At one point, there's an illustration on a two-page spread with no words whatsoever, but it comes before the full two-page spread of nothing but text that describes the scene and how the characters got there.
Basically, this book was on point with the diversity, but not much else. I wish I could recommend it, but I just can't. If you're looking for good LGBT children's books, the best ones in my arsenal right now are Worm Loves Worm and Stella Brings the Family.
March 3, 2022
I really really liked this story. Although this book is promoted here as a story to help children learn about same-sex relationships I think its value is in questioning what underlies the romantic fairy tales we've all been told. The characters in this story, Oskar and his sister Caroline, are fully developed people with different interests that have nothing to do with their gender. The book explores what true love is, not something magical conveyed with a kiss but instead a special relationship that develops through time spent talking together and sharing interests. Although we are told "true love is something that just happens" we are shown that it is not. It comes from wanting to help another person, wanting them to be happy, and making them feel special. Oskar and Alex (the frog) share more interests than Alex and Caroline and Caroline isn't looking for a love story. That is not who she is. She is happy with her life as it is. People are different and want different things and that is ok.
November 25, 2017
*thank you to Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
5 stars.
OMG this was way too cute!!! I absolutely loved it! And it was a decent length aswell which I really appreciated. It wasnt just a 20 page read but felt that it had an actual atory to it rather than it being a short picture book. It is a retelling of the classic 'The Frog Prince' where in this version, its not the girl who breaks the spell, but her brother instead. I really liked how it shows that love develops over time, once you get to know a person rather than instantly falling in love which is way less real (well, in my opinion anyway). It was beautifully told and the illustrations are perfect for young readers, bright and colourful. I think all little kids should read this, (or this be read to them). Its adorable and definitely now my favourite version of the classic story.
5 stars.
OMG this was way too cute!!! I absolutely loved it! And it was a decent length aswell which I really appreciated. It wasnt just a 20 page read but felt that it had an actual atory to it rather than it being a short picture book. It is a retelling of the classic 'The Frog Prince' where in this version, its not the girl who breaks the spell, but her brother instead. I really liked how it shows that love develops over time, once you get to know a person rather than instantly falling in love which is way less real (well, in my opinion anyway). It was beautifully told and the illustrations are perfect for young readers, bright and colourful. I think all little kids should read this, (or this be read to them). Its adorable and definitely now my favourite version of the classic story.
November 26, 2017
I am here for stories like this.
This is the perfect story to not only I think explain same sex relationships to young kids, but also aro/ace people to young children and it was awesome to see such a different take on a classic tale.
Though I think the story needs a little more focus in places, I think the story about the relationship growing between the prince and the frog is really nice, and it’s also good to see a female character saying actually ‘this isn’t my thing’ and the flip of gender roles.
Combined with this you have the incredible illustrations. The characters and scenes are drawn really nicely and develop the story incredibly well, particularly the scenes at the beginning of the book where we are introduced to Oskar and Caroline.
A wonderful story for representation, equality and a really good tale.
(I received a Netgalley ARC for this book).
This is the perfect story to not only I think explain same sex relationships to young kids, but also aro/ace people to young children and it was awesome to see such a different take on a classic tale.
Though I think the story needs a little more focus in places, I think the story about the relationship growing between the prince and the frog is really nice, and it’s also good to see a female character saying actually ‘this isn’t my thing’ and the flip of gender roles.
Combined with this you have the incredible illustrations. The characters and scenes are drawn really nicely and develop the story incredibly well, particularly the scenes at the beginning of the book where we are introduced to Oskar and Caroline.
A wonderful story for representation, equality and a really good tale.
(I received a Netgalley ARC for this book).
January 3, 2018
--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--
This was a really cute retelling of the classic princess and the frog story and a nice introduction for kids to LGBT+ relationships and just love in general. I looked how it was okay for the princess to NOT want love and how the relationship didn't feel forced, but natural. Only drawback is the art: I liked the story, but the pictures just didn't do it for me.
This was a really cute retelling of the classic princess and the frog story and a nice introduction for kids to LGBT+ relationships and just love in general. I looked how it was okay for the princess to NOT want love and how the relationship didn't feel forced, but natural. Only drawback is the art: I liked the story, but the pictures just didn't do it for me.
January 19, 2018
First and foremost, this is a nice, accessible and well illustrated fairy tale. The nice bonus here, is that this can obviously be used as a jumping off point for lessons on same-sex relationships or when covering LGBTQ issues in general. The text and story itself is accessible for children aged 4+ and this seems an easy starting point for children of this age. It would be nice to see more children's books which offer characters avoiding traditional stereotypes like this one.
November 11, 2019
I absolutely loved the way the story was woven from acquaintance to friendship to love without the overt stereotypes. A beautiful book, bought for me by my son. I only wish I were still a headteacher because this book would be well celebrated in my school. Thank you Olly Pike, and keep up the great work.
September 13, 2020
This book is awesome, and adorable. Includes asexual/aromantic representation as well as a gay relationship, though the former is not explicitly stated.
Read
January 17, 2022One day the princess see a frog
November 30, 2022
This is so precious, and I love the gay and asexual representation!
February 9, 2024
3 - 7 years
Great LGBTQ+ introduction for kids, just not great for a story time. Probably better for reading with parents.
3.5 rating
Great LGBTQ+ introduction for kids, just not great for a story time. Probably better for reading with parents.
3.5 rating
November 1, 2018
The Prince and the Frog is a lovely fictional fairytale story. This fairytale takes a new spin on the classic Princess and the Frog. The story tells of the siblings finding the frog and then realizing that the frog is a prince who had been turned into a frog. The frog tells them of the curse and how it can be lifted with true loves kiss. Their first thought is the princess will be the frogs true loves kiss. After this doesn't work they suggest that they have to get to know each other first. This turns into the Prince and the frog finding out that they have a lot in common. The story shows how the Prince and the Frog delicately fall in love through these conversations and friendship. In the end, the Prince is the Frog's true love and his kiss ends the curse. This is a fantasy children's book.
I love how this book showed the Prince and the Frog falling in love accidentally and naturally. This shows students that love is love and you can fall in love all kinds of people no matter what gender you or they are. This book seems like a book I could see in most elementary school grades because it focuses on their own sexuality instead of just their families ties to the LGBTQIA+ community. It is very important for all children to feel safe in my classroom, so this book will help show students that all love is equal and natural. This book also represents darker skin tones instead of the white characters that are often used to represent princes and princesses in fairytales.
I love how this book showed the Prince and the Frog falling in love accidentally and naturally. This shows students that love is love and you can fall in love all kinds of people no matter what gender you or they are. This book seems like a book I could see in most elementary school grades because it focuses on their own sexuality instead of just their families ties to the LGBTQIA+ community. It is very important for all children to feel safe in my classroom, so this book will help show students that all love is equal and natural. This book also represents darker skin tones instead of the white characters that are often used to represent princes and princesses in fairytales.
November 26, 2017
Description:
One day, Oskar and his sister Caroline meet a prince who was turned into a frog by an evil wizard. Only true love’s kiss can break the spell – both Caroline and Oskar want to help, but which of them will be the frog prince’s true love?
This brightly illustrated, heart-warming take on a classic fairytale teaches children about same-sex relationships and attraction. Exploring what it means to be in a healthy, loving relationship, it encourages children to listen to others, be kind, and embrace diversity and equality. Ideal for children aged 3-7.
ISBN 9781785923821
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
MY BOOK REVIEW:
This is a beautifully written simplistic story geared to help in the understanding and in the dynamics that all relationships start with love. The wording is carefully chosen not to rise above the intellect of young readers, and is accompanied by illustrations that enhance the tone of the story without going overboard for younger minds. The plot develops gently and moves through each transition smoothly and with ease.
The characters are realistic, even the frog’s ;), and they also develop and grow at the right pace to keep the reader engaged.
This is one of the better books of this nature that is more educational in its simplistic form than many academic books that try to address the same issues.
The basic lesson… one we all should remember, love happens.
One day, Oskar and his sister Caroline meet a prince who was turned into a frog by an evil wizard. Only true love’s kiss can break the spell – both Caroline and Oskar want to help, but which of them will be the frog prince’s true love?
This brightly illustrated, heart-warming take on a classic fairytale teaches children about same-sex relationships and attraction. Exploring what it means to be in a healthy, loving relationship, it encourages children to listen to others, be kind, and embrace diversity and equality. Ideal for children aged 3-7.
ISBN 9781785923821
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
MY BOOK REVIEW:
This is a beautifully written simplistic story geared to help in the understanding and in the dynamics that all relationships start with love. The wording is carefully chosen not to rise above the intellect of young readers, and is accompanied by illustrations that enhance the tone of the story without going overboard for younger minds. The plot develops gently and moves through each transition smoothly and with ease.
The characters are realistic, even the frog’s ;), and they also develop and grow at the right pace to keep the reader engaged.
This is one of the better books of this nature that is more educational in its simplistic form than many academic books that try to address the same issues.
The basic lesson… one we all should remember, love happens.
January 18, 2018
What a wonderfully inclusive fairy tale. It is very obvious that Princess Caroline, and Prince Oskar have both heard the story of the Frog Princess. When they meet their own magical frog, a kiss from Caroline does not work. So Oskar sets out to make the two fall in love. It’s just a different two fell in love than was expected. When Oskar kisses Frog Alex, Prince Alex is released to live happily ever after. When I say this story is inclusive I mean it. Princess Caroline is not your usual princess. She is okay with not wanting a love interest. She is in love with herself and her life. Prince Oskar is open to friendship in all it’s form. Prince Alex is a nice guy, and also a POC. I love this book. It’s a little long, but a great choice for inclusive storytimes.
April 29, 2018
A wonderful story that shares a fairy tale setting of how two people fall in love. Whether it be same sex or opposite, this story deems light in both scenarios with a beautiful ending. In this day and age where there are parents and families with all kinds of relationships happening from divorced to gays couples, I think books like this are so important for our bookshelves. Most importantly are the ones that give the examples in a loving, gentle, clear and understanding way...The Prince and the Frog does just that.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews