Book Description

When a young boy sets out in search of frogs, he's amazed to find a vibrant, bustling world of wildlife in and around a bay where a loon calls, a turtle buries itself in the sand and a bullfrog goes "harump." The bay provides a day's fascination for the curious little boy - and a day's fun for some elusive frogs. Pencil crayon illustrations give the book a lighthearted, summery feeling that perfectly suits the simple rhyming text. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautiful drawings, educational yet fun for little ones
My 2 1/2 year old really enjoys this book.I believe it isaimed at the 4 - 8 year old set, but even younger ones can appreciatethe colorful illustrations and the natural settings and wildlife. They learn a little about nature ("I saw a loon and heard its cry; a tiny hummingbird flew by").It's very peaceful - perfect before bedtime or naps.And children enjoy the fact that the little boy can never spot the frogs that the reader can see (they're usually hidden behind a rock).My son loves the last page when the little boy says "I wondered if all the creatures would say, I saw a human being today." He likes for me to name several animals and people so that he can label them as human beings or not.I've read this book to my son twice a day for over a month now and I'm not sick of it, which is definitely worth 5 stars in my book! ... Read more

Book Description

Little Joe isn't afraid of the water, but he can't swim. He only splashes around. This makes him sad because everyone in his family swims easily and well -- and Joe longs to.

One day, a very small frog from a nearby pond hops over and right into the pool. Joe watches him swim back and forth, kicking hard with his strong back legs. Joe's brother and sister try to grab Frog or chase him out. Joe's dad brings a net to scoop up Frog. Even Joe's mother joins in. Joe just watches. But when his family grows tired of the chase, Joe manages to rescue the tiny frog. Then he looks at the pool. If he imitates the frog, will he finally be able to swim? This charming story, simply told by a much-loved author, will encourage small children who long to swim, and delight all those who already can. Jane Browne's full-color paintings catch perfectly the small drama of Joe and Frog's adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An uplifting and beautifully illustrated tale
"Frog" combines an easy-to-read text by Susan Cooper with wonderful illustrations by Jane Browne. The book tells the story of Joe, a little boy who can't swim, even though other members of his family are skillful swimmers. This makes Joe sad. However, Joe's situation takes an unexpected turn when a small frog from a nearby pond becomes trapped in Joe's swimming pool.

This is a moving story that's told with charm and compassion. Both Joe and "Frog" are wonderful characters with whom I could really identify. The full-color illustrations really complement their story well; Browne does a particularly nice job of capturing the play of light in water. And together with Cooper she creates a very satisfying conclusion to the mildly suspenseful story. A sweet and uplifting book, "Frog" is a winner. ... Read more

Book Description

Who doesn't like frogs? So they're green and well, slimy. Frogs have charisma, charm, and even a few stories to tell. With the help of eight of today's most fanciful writers, frogs finally have their day. From New York Times best-selling author Brian Jacques's tale of a menacing frogbeast, to Janet Taylor Lisle's story of the frog-people of Quicksand Pond, to Jane Yolen's Pied Piper take on our froggy green friends, these hilarious fables and touching fairy tales are for every reader who has ever rooted for the underfrog.

"Release [your] inner frog with this kickin' collection." (Kirkus Reviews) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well named!
This is a whimsical collection of daft and not-so-daft stories about - well, yes, OK, frogs. Nancy Springer, the editor, has brought together a terrific bunch of writers and the results reflect the quality of the contributors. Springer's own story is a delightful heart-warmer with a good twist. Robert J. Harris' creation, Jim Croaker, deserves a series of his own, and the story is reminiscent in some ways of Mark Twain. Janet Taylor Lisle's contribution is a lovely piece of work, the central character is so very endearing, if very humanly prickly! And Jane Yolen, America's answer to Hans Andersen, delights as ever with a very different kind of Green Plague, and she manages to weave her serious points invisibly into the fabric of her tale.

All in all, this is a wonderfully quirky slim volume - slightly outre in places, but well-written, clever, hugely enjoyable and, yes, I found it - ribbiting - sorry - YOU try reading this and NOT making frog jokes for days!

Fun!
A whole book of frog fiction: Who thinks of these things? Nancy Springer, apparently, and I, for one, am glad she did. These eight stories are a hoot, each focusing in some way on frogs. The majority of the stories are humorous, as one might expect, but every once in a while one of the authors throws us a curveball. Stephen Menick's take on the Exodus story as told by Pharaoh - plague of frogs included - has as much power as any short story I've ever read. What a nice surprise. Janet Lisle's story of a little girl who enacts revenge on a cat-eating coyote by making up a tale of mutant frogs in emminent danger has a delicious dark edge to it. And fans of Brian Jacques' Redwall books will get a kick out of his contribution about a blustery frog king whose lazy pond receives a surprise visitor. Illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi clearly has fun with these stories, producing a Rockwell-like charm with his black-and-white art. I am withholding one star for the simple reason that the stories begin to feel a bit repetitive, but that doesn't change the fact that this book is a frogful of fun. Give it to the frog fan in your life, or simply enjoy it yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

Full-color photos &full-color illus. Edible frogs, frogs that live in

trees, and frogs that exude venom are a few of the amphibians detailed in this

fact-filled overview. "An attractive and informative book for curious children

and their parents or teachers."--Science Books & Films.




... Read more

Reviews (1)

amazing frogs and toads
A really terrific book for any young person wanting to learn about frogsor toads. Great information on types of frogs and thier habits. My nephewloved it and recites all the interesting facts to anyone who will listen.The pictures are actual photos not cartoons or drawing. ... Read more

Book Description

A little boy frog looks forward to the annual visit of his great-aunt Phibian, a slightly kooky relative who has some particularly unusual abilities. She uses her webbed flippers in all sorts of ways: she fans them out to shield her nieces and nephews from the rain, scoops up fly balls, and more. 3-D flaps throughout show her unique talents at work, and a pop-up on the final pages plus a special, spreadable flipper riveted on the front cover adds to the fun. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Relieved to find this fun, fun book!
...Our two and a half year-old daughter remained captivated by this book for weeks.Reading this book over and over again is not monotonous like some children's books since you can sing it, read it, or tell the story by the pictures.The colorful, detailed illustrations kept her interest in the wedding ceremony, which she is learning is a special, yet common, tradition.It was also fun to hear her sing the story in her own version.This book is a wonderful change from the ordinary and will give your child an opportunity to appreciate music, rhyme, drama, and visual art, all with the charm of a seventeenth century Scottish courtship and marriage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Gift for newborn baby
Shaped like a frog this makes a great baby shower gift and new born baby gifts.Decorate the package with this book on top instead of a bow.Children love the Frog shape. Mothers will delight in the size of the book.Great to throw in the diaper bag for moments of enjoyment waiting at the Doctors office or other appointments with little one.Having the hardboard pages little ones can easily learn to turn the pages. ... Read more

Book Description

Each spring, frogs come to Farmer Jessop¹s pond to lay their spawn. But when the frogs arrive this year, they find that the pond has been filled! Another pond must be found for the frogs if their tadpoles are to survive. Mandy and James want to help, and Mandy suggests that the school pond will be the perfect new home for the frogs. But will the frogs agree? ... Read more

Book Description

Can an owl and a toad really be friends? Warton the toad is very proud of himself when he straps on a pair of homemade skis and ventures out in th dead of winter to visit Aunt Toolia. But then an owl swoops down and carries Warton off to his lair, promising to gobble him up as birthday treat come Tuesday. Can Warton's bravery and wit turn the owl from enemy to friend in just five days? ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A great read!
I'm on a mission to collect all of the Warton & Morton books. When I was growing up, I had all of them, first on tape, and later in print. I wore out the whole series listening to and reading them so much. They're very entertaining and wholesome stories that are captivating to young minds. I can't wait to read them to my daughter when she gets a little older.

Wit and kindness save the day!
This is such a sweet, gentle, loving little book.

It's about two brother toads, Morton and Warton, one very stodgy, and the other more of an adventurer. Warton, the braver brother, decides to go out into the snow (toads are supposed to hibernate in winter) to visit his aunt. Almost instantly he is plucked up by an owl who wants to eat him, but decides to save him for a week, to have as a special treat on his birthday. It turns out the owl is lonely and friendless and little by little he is won over by Warton's conversation and small acts of kindness.

On television and in movies, and even in many books, children are constantly exposed to the idea that violence is the solution to almost every problem. I love the fact that in this work, intelligence, kindness, and compassion solve Warton's dilemma.

If you have a child who is just developing enough of an attention span to sit through a chapter book, it's hard to beat this little gem. It's very short, for one thing -- under seventy pages -- which makes it great for restless five or six year olds. And it has just enough danger in it to have small children on the edge of their seats without being too scary. It's cute and funny, and it's message is a great blessing.

It also has lots of sequels, which is a big plus when you're trying to get kids interested in reading more. Unfortunately most of the other Warton and Morton books are out of print, but any reasonable library should have them.

A great read aloud book!
This book and all the others by Erickson about Warton and his brother Morton were favourites at our house when my children were young. I read them out loud many times. Good conversation, delightful story with a hint of danger, and a happy ending.

Read all the Warton and Morton books - they're great!

Russell Erickson's books are classics
All of the Erickson books are wonderful classics, like the Pooh books, and Wind in the Willows. Reading Warton's Christmas Eve Adventure is one of my Christmas traditions. It is a great pity that that book, and most of his other books are out of print and unavailable in libraries. These books have no racial, social, or politically corrected messages. They are just humerous, charming, and thoroughly delightful!

It was a TOADALLY good book
Our third grade class really enjoyed this book especially how Warton and George became friends at the end. It taught us a lot about friendship. Parts of it were even funny. We all ate peanut brittle and pretended it was beetle brittle. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When author Mark Taylor was a boy, a friend of his family built abirdhouse to look just like an apple, and thus, The Frog Housewas born. As the title suggests, this apple-shaped birdhouse becomes afrog house when a tree frog moves in: "The frog had seen birds move intobirdhouses, but never into a wooden apple. The people must have put thisapple here just for me, he thought. It must be a frog house." Indeed. Ofcourse, the other animals are fooled. A robin mistakes the frog housefor an actual apple and pecks at it in search of worms. A crow tries tosteal it for his nest. A beautiful bluebird mistakes it for a birdhouseand a squirrel hurts its teeth trying to bite it. Imagine the cat'sdisappointment to find a froggy inhabitant instead of a crunchy birdlunch: "I was so hoping for a bird. I'm a cat, and cats eat birds." Thefrog had never had so many visitors in his life! In the end, as the frogis proudly singing spring peeping songs, he receives anothervisitor--this time a beautiful green tree frog: "'Do come in and lookaround,' the tree frog said to her. And she did. She admiredeverything.... And she stayed." Barbara Garrison's wonderful,textured folk-art illustrations, described in detail in the front matteras collagraphs (from "collage" and "graphic"), actually include driedleaves from apple trees! Children will adore the idea of a frog movingfurniture into an apple house; the polite interactions with other animals that make for a pleasantly repetitiveread-aloud; and of course, the happy ending. (Ages 3 to 6) --KarinSnelson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A frog for all ages
The Frog House is an amusing story that is enjoyable for both the older child-reader and the younger child-listener. All ages will be intrigued by the delightful frog and his use of 'squatter's rights' to maintain residence in his new-found home.

Cute!
"The Frog House" is a refreshing story. The voice of the author is sincere and creates a feeling of innocenece. The story couldn't be any sweeter making one want to befriend all the animal characters. My children love the book and it gives them a very homey feeling when we read it.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
With fishery and wildlife science as his main interests, Mark Taylor draws upon an actual experience to pen his first book for children. A red birdhouse built in the shape of an apple was once given to his family.

In his story a family puts a bird house in a tree - a very special birdhouse "made to look like a big, ripe red apple." As a little green tree frog watched he was amazed that people put an apple on a tree rather than taking one off to eat. His curiosity got the best of him. When he climbed around to look at the apple he found that it had a hole and was made of wood. So, he popped inside and promptly set up housekeeping.

The story's narrative involves the mistakes other animals make when they, too, spy the red apple. A robin comes along and starts pecking on it for worms, and a crow tries to take it to his nest.

Young readers can be assured that all ends happily when a beautiful female tree frog sees the house and considers it the best house she has ever seen.

Barbara Garrison's folk art illustrations add to the story's naturalness.

- Gail Cooke

A fun and entertaining story
My grandchildren loved this story and the illustrations. The especially liked the idea that a frog could actually live in a house. The visitors to the frog house were all charmingly portrayed. ... Read more

Book Description

Heres an amusing new twist on the well-known fairy tale situation in which a frog becomes a handsome prince when he is kissed by a beautiful princess. Can Snog the Frog also be transformed by a kiss? Today is his birthday, and he plans to celebrate the day by finding out. Who will give him a kiss? First he asks Cow, then Sheep, but both refuse to kiss a frog. Not even Snake or Pig are willing to kiss poor Snog the Frog. At last he meets a pretty little princess, and makes his request to her. This princess has read up on her fairy tales, which is to say that she might be willing to give this little frog his much-needed kiss. The outcome of this cheerful tale will bring a smile to the face of every little boy and girl who has it read aloud to them. Full-color illustrations on every page. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

Totally Awesome
I'm doing this book for a book report. my teacher said to pick a science fiction book and immeadilty i knew what author to pick bruce covile. I have read almost all of his books and thhis one must be the BEST. if you have to pick a bok to read for ppleasure or for a report this is the one to pick!

I liked Jennifer Murdley's Toad a lot.
I liked the book because I liked the talking toad named Bufo. I liked Jennifer because she was like a geode. I really liked all of the characters, like Mr. Elives, Bufo, Esmerelda, Jennifer, Sharra, Ellen, Jerome, and Roxanne. It was a good story.

"Most mirrors are mere errors"
Jennifer Murdley isn't a pretty girl. Jennifer gets picked on a lot by her looks in school. But, when Jennifer gets Bufo from a magic shop, things change. Bufo has the gift of speech (and not the gift of silence!). Bufo can mimic voices and noises with ease. Soon, Jennifer saves her little brother from an evil witch that wants Bufo. Not as good as some of the other books in the Magic Shop series.

jennifer murdley's toad
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. MY FAVORITE PART IS WHEN SHE DISCOVERED THE TOAD COULD TALK. ONE OF MY OTHER FAVORITE BOOKS IF JEREMY THATHER DRAGON HATCHER. I RECOMMEND BOTH THESE BOOKS. BRITTANY,

The mystical magical wonderful book.
The book was about a girl named Jennifer and a toad that she bought from a magic shop for a school project about pets. The only thing she did not know about the toad was that the toad,bufo, could talk. I would recomend this book to people who like Fairy tales , or books with magic. The characters in this story are Jennifer ,Ellen, Mr Elives, Sharra, Skippy, Brandon,Mrs.Murdley, and Bufo the toad. My opinion of this story was that it was not so good but ok. I thought the book was boring. ... Read more

Book Description

This title presents the Hispanic traditional rhyme "Sana, sana, colita de rana…" (Heal, heal, frog’s tail) with a twist, proving that hugs and kisses can cure any soul. ... Read more

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. Felix is in a real fix. After deciding he wants

to be a mind reader when he grows up, Felix falls into a wild adventure that

finds him leading an army of frogs against an evil lawn elf. Now he is

beginning to think that a career in library science wouldn't be such a bad

idea, after all...




... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great short chapter book!
I really enjoyed this book because it was a fantasy book! For readers that like exciting adventurous short books this is the book for you. I really enjoyed the parts where: Felix mind read with the princess frog; The elf came alive from the magical moon stone; Mr. Nubble made his yard into a monster museum.

The worst part about the book was when it ended!
We liked "Felix and the 400 Frogs" because our class is studying about ponds and pond creatures (like frogs). We also liked the main character Felix because he was nice and he was always helping the Frog Princess. Also, we liked the book because the authors put a lot of detail in it. They also put some hard words in it that we didn't know so that we could learn new words. The book was full of interesting things like someone kissing a frog and interesting characters like the mean Mr. Nubble. Our favorite parts were when Mr. Nubble called Felix names and when Felix and the Frog Princess were trying to find the Magic Moonstone. The worst part about the book was when it ended! We would recommend the book to 2nd, 3rd, or 4th graders. We give the book 5 stars! Mrs. Justice's 1999 3rd Grade Class, Jersey Shore Elementary in Jersey Shore, PA ... Read more