When Mr. Bundy, the school principal of P.S. 88, is accidentally turned into a talking frog, he fills in as substitute principal for himself, with amusing consequences, until a blow on the head restores his human form. Lively illustrations enhance the humor in this story based on the folktale The Frog Prince. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 3-Teachers and students all agree that Mr. Bundy is the best principal that a school could ever have. He thinks a special magic show would be a nice addition to an upcoming assembly and he finds just the right magician. However, in a brief demonstration of some educational tricks, Marty Q. Marvel accidentally turns Mr. Bundy into a frog and can't remember how to restore him to his former self. The creature takes a few leaps to a nearby pond and finds it delightful, especially the flies that are buzzing around-very tasty. When a student hits a baseball into the water and he and a couple of his buddies come to retrieve it, Mr. Bundy makes them a deal: he'll get their ball if he can be principal. They are quite surprised that the frog can talk-and how can it be their principal? Crossing their fingers, the kids make the promise and then race off with their ball. In the end, all is set to rights, and the last picture provides a surprise and a giggle. Calmenson's version of "The Frog Prince" takes many liberties with the original tale, adding quirky humor and delightful situations. Brunkus's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations accentuate the hilarity of this spoof on the traditional fairy tale. Read aloud or alone, this book is sure to get its share of chuckles.-Patti Gonzales, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Even though I'm small, green and slimy, I can still be a good principal, can't I?" So hopes P.S. 88's responsible, much-loved Mr. Bundy, afflicted by a bumbling magician's spell in this ribbit-tickling companion to The Principal's New Clothes (1989). Calmenson sticks to the original folktale's broad outlines: Bundy offers to fetch a baseball from the pond if his stunned students will accept him as the substitute Principal while the real Mr. Bundy is "away," and though they make their promise with fingers crossed, they're forced to stick to their bargain. Brunkus endows both him and his young charges with a lively range of expressions and postures before, during, and (finally) after his transformation. Even on four legs, Bundy is the very model of a benevolent father figure, spending more time in halls and classrooms than in the office. But when he finally regains his old, dapper-no Captain Underpants he-shape not by being thrown against the wall, or, as in sappy modern versions, being kissed, but by taking a baseball on the noggin, students and teachers welcome him back joyfully. Lucky is the school with a Principal like Mr. Bundy. (Picture book. 6-8)

Ages 4-7. The classic story of "The Frog Prince" is given new life when a bumbling magician auditioning for a school assembly accidentally turns Mr. Bundy, principal of P.S. 88 (and star of another Calmenson and Brunkus fairy-tale update, The Principal's New Clothes), into a frog. But Mr. Bundy doesn't let this setback stop him from carrying on his principal's duties. "Even though I'm small, green, and slimy, I can still be a good principal, can't I?" Eventually Mr. Bundy becomes his old self again, but not before he joins some students in a game of leapfrog, startles the kindergartners by taking a dip in a sinkful of water, and uses his long, quick tongue to gobble up a student's science project--a tasty bug collection. The silly plot is very believably written, and Brunkus' expressive watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations add to the fun with crisp, colorful scenes depicting all the outrageous antics. This would be a natural choice for all those principals who routinely visit primary-grade classrooms for a quick read-aloud. --Lauren Peterson