Welcome to the world of Rupert Longleggers!

The tale of a dapper gentleman frog is the inspired work of author Kristina Rochelle and illustrator Aslan Dominique who also share the distinction of being mother and daughter. From their love of charming stories and fanciful imagery, Rupert’s story is weaved intricately throughout the English countryside with a few unforgettable adventures abroad.

With a nod to many historical events and a setting that begins around the turn of the century, readers will follow the life of Rupert with his closest childhood friends to the trenches of war and later to the service of the Queen. Kristina has drawn inspiration from many of her favorite things and places that are woven into the tale. From train stations and masquerade balls, enchanting forests and extravagant theaters, those who enter the pages of Rupert’s story will be whisked away to experience what he experiences and drawn into the lives of those who surround him.

Aslan Dominique, known for her whimsical style and intricate details, brings the story to life with rich colors and depth to every illustration. Perfectly capturing the essence of each scene illustrated, her imagery spoken through ink and paint will forever remain in the minds of young and old alike. Aslan has many special memories of children’s books that she grew up with and knows the importance of artwork and illustrations that are long to be remembered even after the tale is told. It is her joy and goal to provide the same inspiration to a new generation who will someday create their own unique mark on the world.

The full length novel is currently being written and the work of illustrating is underway. Please be sure to follow along for updates which can be found on the website or on instagram at @rupert_longleggers_official

 FAQs

This is a compiled list of some of our most common questions received about the upcoming novel.

the Author

  • My daughter, who is also the illustrator of the book, drew a picture of the most dapper and handsome frog.  I immediately loved him and knew he needed a story. It took a couple of years but once I began writing, the ideas came pretty quickly and she was also excited to further illustrate more of his life.  We both love British culture and vintage clothing and decor so it was an easy decision to set his time period around the turn of the century in the English countryside. If I’m going to be immersed in something for a long time, it’s important to me that I love and am passionate about it and every element of this is just a joy to work on. - Kristina Rochelle

  • Most people assume that it is but I really hate to box it in to only one category.  Many of the themes in the book deal with adult emotions and situations such as war and love and grief.  Because I know children will read it, I am being careful that there are no elements that are overtly mature. All parents must make their own decisions about what their children are exposed to and age appropriateness. My goal is intelligent, thought provoking writing for any age. - Kristina Rochelle

  • We get asked this the most.  Writing a book about a frog or with other animals is of course going to draw comparisons to others with similar themes.  I will be honest, I have never read Wind in the Willows!  I am familiar with it and have watched a few cartoons and even though I own the book…I have not read it. There are others of course we are asked about as well from Brambly Hedge or Beatrix Potter that I have been exposed to over the years.  Rupert’s story is original in that I am drawing from my own life experiences and even favorite things and places that are specific to me.  There are several tales within the tale inspired by my grandmother and her siblings and actual historical events that I could weave into the lives of the characters. In conclusion…there is more than one British frog in the world and Rupert has his very own original story! - Kristina Rochelle

  • We are open to both but as we are in the creative stages, we aren’t thinking too much about that now.  We know that this is a beautiful story and trust that all will happen as it’s meant to. - Kristina Rochelle

  • Great question! As of October 2024, I estimate at least one more year of writing and possibly a couple of years for illustrating and then formatting if we self publish. We have had many stops and starts along the way but are now moving full steam ahead. - Kristina Rochelle

the Artist

  • That is a question that even I do not have an exact answer for as of yet. The book itself is going to be closer to novel length, and will have quite a few full paged illustrations as well as quarter sized pictures throughout each chapter. If you know me, then you know that I usually have quite the elaborate planning for big projects such as this. If anything, it’s going to be difficult to narrow down all of my ideas! If it were possible, I would illustrate every scene and every moment as if  I were there in the story. - Aslan Dominique

  • As I’m still in the early stages of creating the illustrations for our book, I will be sharing lots of sneak peeks and several of the full illustrations as a preview on Rupert’s official Instagram page. @rupert_longleggers_official We would love to have you join us! - Aslan Dominique