Once upon a toad
(Book)

At the start of Frederick's latest, Catriona Starr faces more than the usual challenges of a 12-year-old: divorced parents who live 2,000 miles apart; a mother who is unreachable (she is an astronaut aboard the International Space Station); a terribly hostile stepsister; and a highly eccentric great-aunt named Abyssinia. Frederick moves the plot into zany territory once she unleashes Aby's magical powers and good intentions. Aby is a fairy godmother who, as narrator Cat says in the end, is more into life lessons than magic and spells and stuff, and Aby's goal is to keep the two stepsisters from harming each other. The road to friendship with the petty stepsister, Olivia, becomes a bit crowded with silly spells (Cat emits toads when she speaks, and Olivia emits diamonds) and subplots involving kidnapping, Elvis impersonators, and a little brother who upchucks more than he speaks. Still, Cat's sympathetic character makes for an appealing narrator. Recommended for fans of pure wackiness.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist

In this humorous, quick-moving story, Frederick (the Mother-Daughter Book Club series) delivers a contemporary update of Perrault's classic fairy tale Toads and Diamonds. In contrast to the original, this version has kind and self-reliant 12-year-old Cat Starr stuck spewing toads from her mouth while her unpleasant stepsister, Olivia, emits showers of flowers and precious gems every time she talks. After Cat's astronaut mother gets sent to the International Space Station, Cat goes to live with her remarried father and his family, which ignites sisterly rivalry. When the girls start spitting toads and diamonds, Cat discovers that it's the work of her eccentric Great-Aunt Abyssinia, who is actually an "occupationally challenged fairy godmother." The girls' talents attract media attention, through which Frederick offers gentle commentary on the dark side of celebrity, leading to the kidnapping of Cat's half-brother. The slapstick nature of the story translates well to modern-day middle school; kidnapping aside, Frederick plays up the physical comedy and focuses on the fun, as well as the gradually defrosting relationship between Cat and Olivia. Ages 8-12. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 4-6-Cat Starr is a 12-year-old bassoon player from Houston, TX, whose mother is an astronaut on the International Space Station. Sent to live with her father in Oregon while her mother is in space, Cat struggles to get along with stepsister Olivia and her friends. When her great-aunt Abyssinia shows up unexpectedly, strange things start happening to the girls, leading to a kidnapping, a robbery, evil government agents, and a fairy godmother. Frederick gives new life to an old story by creating believable characters in this modern-day fairy tale. Known for her popular "Mother-Daughter Book Club" series, the author explores the difficulties of a blended family with comedic plotlines and witty dialogue. Narrator Tara Sands adds her own flair with great character voices. VERDICT This delightful offering is recommended for middle grade listeners who enjoy updated fairy tales. ["For fans of fantasy and fairy tales, this is a gem": SLJ 5/12 review of the S. & S. book.]-Alice Davidson, Indianapolis © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After complaining to eccentric Great-Aunt Abyssinia about nasty, name-calling stepsister Olivia, twelve-year-old Cat wakes up one morning and starts spitting out toads. Whether shes speaking, singing, or playing the bassoon in her schools talent show, a toad pops out every time she opens her mouth. To make things worse, Olivia is similarly affected, except that instead of toads, she produces flowers and diamonds. Olivias status as "the diamond girl" makes her an instant celebrity -- and an easy target. So when kidnappers steal their little brother, demanding Olivia in return, its up to the jewel- and amphibian-spewing stepsisters to get him back. In this enjoyable twist on a Charles Perrault fairy tale -- in the original, its the evil stepsister whos cursed with toads -- Frederick keeps readers entertained with an action-packed, zany plot and an even wackier cast: a bald Elvis impersonator, a tough-but-kind diner waitress (whose updo looks like "shed set her hair dryer control to stun"), and enormous, colorful, RV-driving, mind-reading Great-Aunt Aby. In the midst of the craziness, Cat is a dryly witty, grounded protagonist; except for a few (toadally) understandable freak-outs, she stays focused and determined. As the fearless "Cat Starr, Toad Huntress," she creates the requisite happy ending: ingeniously saving her brother; accepting Aby, her newly found fairy godmother; and forging a relationship with her stepsister, warts and all. rachel l. smith (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

There's a certain attractive ick factor about a girl who spews out toads every time she speaks, but is it enough to sustain a novel? Since her mother, an astronaut, is in space, Cat has been sent to spend the rest of the school year with her father, his wife and her two step siblings. Olivia, aka Miss Prissy Pants, is her own age, and more likable Geoffrey is just 3. After ample angst--the two diametrically opposite girls can't stand each other--and a visit from Cat's decidedly odd great-aunt Abyssinia, the pair wake up with strange new problems. When Olivia opens her mouth, jewels and flower petals fall out, but poor Cat just produces toads. Geoffrey is kidnapped by someone eager to get at Olivia's jewels, and the two girls are forced to flee, seeking some resolution for their multitude of issues. Can their related afflictions make them overcome their numerous differences? The saving grace, beyond the charming toads, is that Cat is very attractively mouthy, and her narration is fresh and funny. The pace never lets up, but only readers capable of truly suspending disbelief will buy the many convenient coincidences needed to make the plot work. This appealing fairy tale is fun, fast paced and more than just a little bit foolish. (Fantasy. 10-15)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

At the start of Frederick's latest, Catriona Starr faces more than the usual challenges of a 12-year-old: divorced parents who live 2,000 miles apart; a mother who is unreachable (she is an astronaut aboard the International Space Station); a terribly hostile stepsister; and a highly eccentric great-aunt named Abyssinia. Frederick moves the plot into zany territory once she unleashes Aby's magical powers and good intentions. Aby is a fairy godmother who, as narrator Cat says in the end, is "more into life lessons than magic and spells and stuff," and Aby's goal is to keep the two stepsisters from harming each other. The road to friendship with the petty stepsister, Olivia, becomes a bit crowded with silly spells (Cat emits toads when she speaks, and Olivia emits diamonds) and subplots involving kidnapping, Elvis impersonators, and a little brother who upchucks more than he speaks. Still, Cat's sympathetic character makes for an appealing narrator. Recommended for fans of pure wackiness. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

In this humorous, quick-moving story, Frederick (the Mother-Daughter Book Club series) delivers a contemporary update of Perrault's classic fairy tale Toads and Diamonds. In contrast to the original, this version has kind and self-reliant 12-year-old Cat Starr stuck spewing toads from her mouth while her unpleasant stepsister, Olivia, emits showers of flowers and precious gems every time she talks. After Cat's astronaut mother gets sent to the International Space Station, Cat goes to live with her remarried father and his family, which ignites sisterly rivalry. When the girls start spitting toads and diamonds, Cat discovers that it's the work of her eccentric Great-Aunt Abyssinia, who is actually an "occupationally challenged fairy godmother." The girls' talents attract media attention, through which Frederick offers gentle commentary on the dark side of celebrity, leading to the kidnapping of Cat's half-brother. The slapstick nature of the story translates well to modern-day middle school; kidnapping aside, Frederick plays up the physical comedy and focuses on the fun, as well as the gradually defrosting relationship between Cat and Olivia. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Apr.)

Gr 4–6—In this re-imagining of "Toads and Diamonds," Catriona Starr's astronaut mom gets called up for a space mission with little notice, forcing the 12-year-old to spend three months with her father and stepfamily in Oregon. Not long after her arrival, Cat starts spitting up frogs every time she speaks. To add insult to injury, her stepsister, "Miss Prissy Pants" Olivia, is spitting flowers and diamonds. Within days, they have criminals and government agents after them, and Cat has to find a way out of the mess, toads and all. The girls' characters are fleshed out well: Cat is a bassoon-playing, outdoors-loving girl, and Olivia, a tap-dancing, aspiring interior designer, is her perfect foil. They are complemented by charming supporting roles, including eccentric great aunt Abyssinia and their younger brother Geoffrey, aka "Barf Bucket," who might be the only thing Cat and Olivia have in common. When he is kidnapped, the girls embark on a crazy adventure to rescue him. The plot takes many twists, some more predictable than others, and the story is well written and paced. For fans of fantasy and fairy tales, this is a gem.—Ricca Gaus, New York Public Library