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series Reading Order

Tales of the Frog Princess Books in Order

9 Books
2002 – 2017 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Tales of the Frog Princess series in publication order. While there is a prequel (Book 5, The Salamander Spell) and a mid-series addition (Book 9, The Frog Princess Returns), reading in publication order allows you to experience the natural progression of E.D. Baker's world-building, character growth, and magical rules. If you prefer to follow the story chronologically, you can read the books in narrative order instead.

Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)

This is the sequence in which the books were released. It introduces you to Emma and Eadric first, branches out into ancestral backstory, transitions to their daughter Millie's adventures, and wraps up with a nostalgic return to Emma's early years.

  • Book 1: The Frog Princess (2002)
  • Book 2: Dragon's Breath (2003)
  • Book 3: Once Upon a Curse (2004)
  • Book 4: No Place for Magic (2006)
  • Book 5: The Salamander Spell (2007)
  • Book 6: The Dragon Princess (2008)
  • Book 7: Dragon Kiss (2009)
  • Book 8: A Prince among Frogs (2010)
  • Book 9: The Frog Princess Returns (2017)

Option 2: Chronological Reading Order

If you want to follow the timeline of the universe exactly as events happen, read the books in this order. Keep in mind that The Salamander Spell is a prequel focusing on Emma's aunt, while The Frog Princess Returns fits snugly between books 3 and 4.

  1. The Salamander Spell (Prequel set years before Emma's birth)
  2. The Frog Princess
  3. Dragon's Breath
  4. Once Upon a Curse
  5. The Frog Princess Returns (Takes place two weeks after Emma's birthday, right after Book 3)
  6. No Place for Magic
  7. The Dragon Princess (Focus shifts to Emma and Eadric's teenage daughter, Millie)
  8. Dragon Kiss (Focuses on Audun, Millie's dragon suitor)
  9. A Prince among Frogs (Millie and Audun rescue Emma and Eadric's baby boy, Felix)

What to Know Before You Start

E.D. Baker's series is a delightful, lighthearted middle-grade fantasy that flips traditional fairy-tale tropes on their heads. Instead of a pristine princess waiting to be rescued, our main heroine, Princess Emeralda (Emma), is a clumsy witch-in-training who accidentally turns into a frog herself after trying to break a prince's curse with a kiss. The series combines humor, girl power, and magical growth.

As you progress through the series, the narrative focus shifts. The first four books (and the ninth) follow the main journey of Emma and Eadric. The fifth book, The Salamander Spell, is an origin story for Emma's maternal aunt, Grassina, during her youth as a Green Witch. The subsequent books (6, 7, and 8) jump forward in time to follow the next generation, focusing on Emma and Eadric's daughter Millie, her cousin Francis, and her ice dragon companion Audun.

The Shared Universe: Spin-Offs & Connections

The magic doesn't stop in Greater Greensward. E.D. Baker has built a vast, interconnected fairy-tale multiverse. Most notably, the Wide-Awake Princess series (featuring Princess Annie, who is immune to magic) is set in the very same world. The two series officially cross paths in Princess Between Worlds (the fifth book of the Wide-Awake Princess series), where Annie and Liam travel between kingdoms and encounter Emma and other beloved characters from the Frog Princess books. While you can read both series independently, exploring both gives you a richer sense of the world's lore and creatures, including how dragons are introduced to Annie's realm.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the best book to start with in the Tales of the Frog Princess series?

You should start with the first published book, The Frog Princess (2002). Even though there is a prequel, starting here introduces the main characters and the magical rules of the world perfectly.

QWhere does The Frog Princess Returns fit in the timeline?

Chronologically, The Frog Princess Returns takes place just two weeks after the events of Once Upon a Curse (Book 3) and before No Place for Magic (Book 4).

QWho is the main character in the later books of the series?

Starting with The Dragon Princess (Book 6), the focus shifts to Princess Millie, the teenage daughter of Emma and Eadric, who struggles with turning into a green dragon when she loses her temper.

QIs Disney's The Princess and the Frog based on these books?

Yes, Disney's 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog was loosely inspired by E.D. Baker's debut novel, The Frog Princess, though the movie features a unique setting and different characters.

QHow does The Wide-Awake Princess connect to this series?

Both series exist in the same magical universe. The characters officially cross over in Princess Between Worlds, which is the fifth installment of The Wide-Awake Princess series.

QCan the prequel, The Salamander Spell, be read first?

While you can read The Salamander Spell first, it is best enjoyed as the fifth book (in publication order). It provides a deeper appreciation of Emma's Aunt Grassina after you already know her role in the main books.