We are the Wibbly! A Tadpole's Tale by Sarah Tagholm illustrated by Jane McGuiness

This book just begs to be read aloud. Our young narrator always seems to come last. Youngest siblings are sure to relate to this and other children will sympathise with his feelings of being slow to catch up with the group. As Kirkus says: While some life cycle books feel dry, this one is enlivened by humor and the modest but compelling narrative, which follows a distinctive pink-cheeked tadpole who’s decidedly ambivalent about this whole metamorphosis business.

I love his individual voice and the way he uses invented words. This is an absolutely perfect book to consider for any preschool library or bookshelf. It is a terrific way to talk about the lifecycle of frogs and the art in this book is just so very appealing. It reminds me of a preschool art technique blowing bubbles through paint. See more books illustrated by Jane McGuiness here. 

Image source: Jane McGuiness

Invented words and fun phrases: water-flying; hunger-muncher; 'you will not do believing this'; juiceable dinners; I am the fasterest; 'oh my crikeys'; air-swimming.

Look at this diagram and you can see the changes he goes through:

Publisher blurb: OH MY CRIKEYS! Doesn't life move fast? One moment you're in the Wibbly, relaxing with your Wibbly friends. The next, they've all grown tails and turned into tadpoles! And what's more, they are bursting OUT of the Wibbly ... AND you've got to keep up! Some tadpoles don't feel ready to become frogs. And some never wanted to become tadpoles in the first place.

Frequent exclamation points propel the springy narrative, and sprinkles of quirky invented words and unconventional grammar feel very froglike indeed. ...  Splashy illustrations in ink, mixed-media, and Photoshop leap with energy, while the gently rounded, big-eyed frogs are cute yet still accurately rendered. A page of backmatter nicely summarizes the frog’s life cycle. A hopping good book perfect for budding biologists. Kirkus Star review

Here is a very extensive Pinterest collection of books about frogs and toads from my friend Kinderbookswitheverything. 

I would pair We are Wibbly with this book:

One Tiny Tree Frog

One Tiny Treefrog: A countdown to survival by Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy

This story starts with ten eggs, but red-eyed treefrogs usually lay clutches of closer to forty eggs on leaves that overhang ponds or temporary pools of water. 

This is a wonderful nonfiction book which could be read across a wide range of ages. It is a counting book yes but it also a book about the lifecycle of the treefrog but then when we reach zero older readers will understand this little frog is another of the precious endangered creatures found in our world that need our protection.

This book is set in the low land wet forests of Costa Rica which is home to more than 12,000 plants, 800 birds, 400 reptiles and amphibians, 200 mammals and 175 freshwater fish.

Here is part of the text:

Ten tiny tadpoles grow in their eggs.

Nine alert tadpoles begin to wiggle free.

Eight wriggling tadpoles plunge in to a watery new home.

This book employs some excellent design features. End papers filled with frog eggs, there is a page you turn long-ways to see the plunge (read the line above), four pages of background information and facts, well-paced page turns, scientific names in small print on some pages where we see other species living in this wet environment and shiny paper with interesting colour changes on each page. You can see inside One Tiny Treefrog here. 

Publisher blurb: Deep in the tropical forest of Costa Rica, ten sticky frog eggs cling to a leaf. Only nine eggs hatch. Only eight tadpoles wind up in the water below. What will it take to survive the countdown to adulthood and begin the cycle again? This beautifully designed, color-drenched introduction to frog metamorphosis peeks at this animal’s habitats and predators as it illustrates competition and natural selection. Cocreators Mackenzie Joy and Tony Piedra have crafted a dazzling spin on the life of one of nature’s darlings, the red-eyed treefrog. Back matter invites budding naturalists to discover even more treefrog facts, revisit the pages to spot other Costa Rican species, and check out a bibliography.

You might find this nonfiction book in your school or local library:

Many years ago I also had this book which had photographs of ceramic sculptures - I should have kept it because I see it for sale for over AUS$50.

Tony Piedra grew up in Houston, Texas, chasing lizards in the backyard and capturing great adventures in his sketchbook. Eventually, he relocated to California, where he worked for many years at Pixar Animation Studios, building environments for some of the studio’s most popular movies, including Up and Coco. He is the creator of The Greatest Adventure, his debut picture book, and lives in northern California. Mackenzie Joy, as an artist, loves to scribble and paint on nontraditional canvases. As a writer, she enjoys finding the perfect rhythms, sounds, and words. As a storyteller, she wants to share stories that are quirky, hopeful, and thought-provoking. Mackenzie Joy lives in northern California. Books Up North

Here is an interview with Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy - they met and are now married. And here is their new book due out next month:

Frog series by Max Velhuijs

 

At a recent charity book sale I picked up a couple of books from the Frog series by Max Velthuijs. Reading them today I marvel at the way these simple books for young children contain such wisdom.The series begins with Frog is Frog. My favourite is Frog is a Hero. I need to add this one to my own collection. 

Wikipedia have a page devoted to this series: Frog "observes daily events from a childlike perspective, offering children insight into social interactions. In Frog's world, there is no status. All the animals are the same size, which gives them absolute equality. Every animal has its own personality and skills. Frog and his friends enjoy life and deal with real life issues, such as fear, love, sadness, and loss, making these difficult subjects and emotions more understandable for children. At the end of each book, there's always a positive solution for the dilemma's the animals face."

Max Velthuijs received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2004 he died in 2005.

Here are three I have added to my shelves:

Frog and the Stranger (1993)

Is this new fellow a filthy dirty rat? A greedy fellow? A thief? No he is not. He is kind. He has stories to tell of his travels around the world. He is clever and can even speak three languages. Frog is keen to make a new friend but it will take several disasters to convince Duck, Hare and Pig that Rat does not deserve the harsh judgements they levelled at him before taking time to get to know him.

Blurb: When a rat comes to live at the edge of their wood, the animals decide they don't like having a stranger in their midst. But Frog is friendly by nature, and decides to find out if Rat is really as unpleasant as he is made out to be. As Frog discovers, Rat is intelligent and good-hearted, and proves in a series of unexpected emergencies that the other animals have been too quick to condemn him.

Key sentences: "He may be different from us, but he's not doing anything wrong and the wood belongs to everyone."  "Different said Frog, but we're all different."

Themes: New friends; Suspicion; Listening; Prejudice; Acceptance of difference; Kindness; Strangers

Frog and the Wide World (1998)

In a previous book (Frog and the Stranger) we met Rat. In this new installment Rat is setting off on an adventure. Frog asks if he can come along too but Frog is not really prepared for the long walk and sleeping outdoors. After a couple of days Frog becomes quite homesick so Rat agrees to lead him home. When all the friends are gathered together Frog describes his adventure with Rat in glowing terms. This ending is sure to make you smile. I would pair this book with The Trip to Panama by Janosch.

Blurb: When Frog hears that Rat is off in an adventure to explore the wide world, he excitedly joins him and they set off full of anticipation. But it doesn't take long for Frog to start missing his friends Pig, Duck and Hare. He soon discovers that he was much happier leaving the wide world where it was, far from home. . .

Key Sentence: "Right now, we're on our way to foreign lands. Look around you! See how beautiful it is? And every where is the unknown." "You're not ill, you're homesick."

Themes: Adventures; Journeys; Patience; Perseverance; Home; Storytelling.

Frog finds a Friend (2001)

Frog finds a teddy bear lying in the grass. He is sure given time and patience he can teach the bear to talk and indeed this is exactly what happens. Little Bear and Frog become great friends until one day Bear decides to leave. Frog is so upset but then one morning Frog wakes up to find Little Bear has returned - this is his true home.

Blurb: One fine autumn day, Frog finds a little bear lost and alone in the forest. He decides to take him home to be his new friend. Hare tells him bear won't be able to talk, but Frog is determined to teach him. And to the other animals' surprise, he does! They become the best of friends, but one day, little bear decides to go back to where he came from. Frog is inconsolable - will he ever see him again?

Key sentences: "He went up closer and saw that it was a little brown bear wearing a red sweater. It had beady black eyes and there was a teardrop on its cheek." "Before going to sleep, Frog told little bear fairytales and taught him words such as apple, rose moon ..."

Themes: New friends; Patience; Toys; Imagination; Kindness.

Here are all twelve Frog titles:

• Frog and a very Special Day Frog 
• Finds a Friend 
• Frog in Winter 
• Frog is a Hero 
• Frog and the Treasure 
• Frog is Frog 
• Frog and the Wide World 
• Frog is Frightened 
• Frog and the Birdsong 
• Frog in Love 
• Frog and the Stranger 
• Frog is Sad

The quiet blend of curiosity, respect, and joy in Velthuijs's text is enhanced by the simplicity of his bright, beautifully designed art. Kirkus (Frog and the Birdsong)

Best Test by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Anna Doherty

Bird finds a delicious huge strawberry. Frog would like to eat it and so would shrew so they decide to hold a competition and the winner will win the strawberry.  The competition is constructed around the talents of each competitor. Frog can jump and make silly faces; rat is a great runner; bird can reach high; mouse is skilled with colouring in and squirrel enjoys guessing the contents of bags (especially if they contain acorns). Shew decides to be the referee and she designs the race course. Are you ready? Are you steady? Go! It is wonderful to see how the animal friends actually help each other through the race. Squirrel helps bird guess what's in the bag by offering a hint; rat helps squirrel with the colouring test.

"I declare you to ALL be the best!' laughed Shrew." Now they can all enjoy that strawberry - or can they? The final twist will give you and your young reading companion a huge smile. I highly recommend this book as a perfect addition to a Primary school or Preschool library. The end papers are terrific showing all the animal friends making funny faces. You will see they are filled with photo selfies.

You can find some activities and a poster on the Tiny Owl web page. The trailer is fun too.

Of course this book will remind you of The Little Mouse, the Ripe red Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear.

This is the second book in a series by Pippa Goodhart and Anna Doherty on the theme of celebrating our talents.

Morphing Murphy by Robert Favretto illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

The transformation of a tadpole into a frog is a miraculous thing and in this book you can learn about this process from Murphy himself.

Two tiny bumps appeared next to his tail.
Soon the bumps grew into legs.
Murphy's tail disappeared!

Yes this is a book about the metamorphosis of frogs but there is a delight story twist at the end. A girl arrives at the pond. She scoops Murphy out of the water and gives him a kiss!! Have you guessed what will happen? You might get a surprise.

Morphing Murphy would be the perfect addition to any school or preschool library.  Here is the web site for Tull Suwannakit. Watch this three minute video to see the amazing changes in the frog lifecycle. The story of Murphy begins around day 15.

I would pair this book with:

Eddie Frogbert by Sue deGennaro

"This,'  he said to himself, 'is something I would like to try."

About a week ago I was talking to one of the teachers in my school about the book The Pros and Cons of being a frog also by Sue DeGennaro and the very next day I spied Eddie Frogbert also by Sue.  There seems to be a theme here around frogs.  In the earlier book the little boy adopts a frog costume but he also learns important things about himself and about the complexities of friendships.

In Eddie Frogbert the main character is a frog.  Surely frogs can easily jump and dive but Eddie is a frog with a problem.  He is terrified of diving.  He watches the others until one day he decides to take his fear in hand and climb to the top of the diving tower.  Sadly this is all too much and he forced to shuffle back down the ladder.

This could be the end for Eddie but it is not because he is a problem solver.  I adore problem solvers. He devises a plan - small steps towards his goal.

"Eddie was sure there was a little leap inside him."

Then comes the big day.  He arrives at the competition.  He almost runs away but he musters his courage, tries a little 'self talk' and dives!

"as light as a feather, Eddie Frogbert ... leapt into the air."

Make sure you also notice the little snail moving slowly across the graph-paper end papers.  He starts on the left, moves nearly to the middle on the next page and by the end of the book he has nearly reached the end of the page - slow and steady 'wins the race'.

There are universal messages here about patience, perseverance, and practice along with goal setting and overcoming fear.   I would follow Eddie Frogbert with Puffling by Margaret Wild and Leonardo's Dream by Hans DeBeer.  You might also take a look at an old but important book - Leo the late Bloomer by Robert Kraus.

A big leap for a little frog

Frog find a place by Sally Morgan and Kzekiel Kwaymullina illustrated by Dub Leffler

Who am I?

What are my talents?

Can I fly?

Is life better over there?

Where do I fit in?

There are so many children's picture books that explore these questions especially the question about flying.  My favourite also features a frog - Frog is Frog by Max Velthuijs.  Here are some other books that explore this theme and the theme of identity :

"When frog was a tadpole, a moonbeam sliced through the murky water of his pool and lit up his tiny tadpole face."

Thus begins a quest by Frog to reach the moon.  He enlists the help of three others who live near his pond. Firstly Spider who suggests making a ladder of ferns. Next Possum who suggests swinging from a vine and lastly Crow who suggests making a set of wings.

After each of these suggestions fail to work the wise old Owl returns.  Frog feels utterly defeated. "Sad and tired, Frog perched on a branch in the middle of his pool. " Owl advises him to look again.  Frog looks into the water. At last he can be with the moon and the stars.  Sometimes the things we are looking for are much closer than we realise.

Frog finds a place is another book from our CBCA 2016 Notable list.

Here is a set of detailed teaching notes.

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Next weekend I have tickets to see a theatre production of Frog and Toad.  I remembered I had an old cassette tape of these books and to my great delight I find the stories are narrated by Arnold Lobel himself.  I have listened to each of the stories as a bedtime treat each night this week.

Frog and Toad are so famous they even have a Wikipedia entry!  There are four books in this series.

Frog and Toad are friends 1970
Frog and Toad together 1972
Frog and Toad all year 1976
Days with Frog and Toad 1979

It is hard to single out stories from the collection of twenty but I think my favourites are : The Garden, A lost button, The Letter (see snail mail image below.  I like to think Arnold Lobel invented the idea of snail mail long before email was even thought of) and Tomorrow.

Here is a link to a little video of The List.  These stories are very old but they are also timeless.  I absolutely guarantee you will love them.  Well worth looking for in your library today!

The pros and cons of being a frog by Sue deGennaro

There is a subtle little design feature on the front cover of this CBCA Short listed book. If you feel the numbers you will notice number 17 and number 23 are embossed into the cover.  This is because Camille is a numbers girl.  She loves numbers so much she sometimes uses them to communicate.  17 means NO and 23 means YES.  Oddly you wont find 17 or 23 among the jumble of numbers on the end papers.  There is another number shown in this book - 8 but it is not explained.  The reader needs to look closely the context where Camille uses 8 to work it out.  I think 8 might mean a perfect match.

Our unnamed narrator loves to dress up and he loves frogs.  Initially he dresses up as a cat but this leads to difficulties with a local dog.  He tries on other animals suits but it is Camille who finally suggests a frog.  "Frogs are not solitary creatures. I decided I needed a friend.  Camille agreed to help."

This book reminded me of Suzie and Alfred in the night of the paperbag monsters by Helen Craig.  Camille and her friend almost lose each other in the process.  It is up to the narrator to make the peace after he makes a careful list of Pros and Cons....  Here are the cons.

"1.  Not everyone loves wearing a frog costume as much as me.
2.   If you start getting bossy about your frog costume then your friend will get up and leave.
3.   A frog is not a solitary creature so it's no fun for a frog if his friend gets up and leaves."

When we read this book at school we will also look at Henry and Amy right way round and upside down by Stephen Michael King, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey and A friend like Ed by Karen Wagner.

Here is an excellent review.
This gorgeous book is not only cleverly written, it is an absolute delight for the eyes. Sue deGennaro has a brilliant knack for combining modern yet whimsical illustrations with unusual, artsy undertones and design layout that is just so beautiful, it screams avant-garde without feeling alienating or pretentious.

Tuesday by David Wiesner

David Wiesner is one of those super talented illustrators who creates master pieces in the form of picture books. The first David Wiesner book I read was June 29, 1999. It introduced me to some oddly named but real vegetables like arugula.

Tuesday is an almost wordless or textless picture book - it contains an amazing fantasy story all told through rich night time illustrations. The story begins on Tuesday evening around eight.  The scene is a swamp and the moon is rising.  The first surprise comes as you turn the page - two huge frogs sitting on lily pads which are floating above the swamp and so the adventures begins as the frog take off over the neighborhood.  At 11.21 a man sitting in his kitchen enjoying a late night snack sees the frogs outside his window.  Later the frogs fly in the open window of an old lady as she dozes by the television. At 4.38  they flee a slobbering dog.  As the sun rises the frogs arrive back in their swamp.  That morning the town's people and police awake to the mystery of discarded lily pads lying all over the town.  The final twist, though, is on the last page - the time is next Tuesday at 7.58pm.

If you have not seen books illustrated by David Wiesner you are in for a real treat.  Take a look at his web site.  Here is a video of Tuesday. Discussion Questions. We have all of his picture books in our school library so ask to borrow one today.  Here is one word from a review that sums up this quirky book - nifty!