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FROG VS TOAD

Name: FROG VS TOAD
Author: Ben Mantle
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2369-9

by Ben Mantle ; illustrated by Ben Mantle ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2022

Friendly amphibious fare for storytime.

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Frog and Toad aren’t friends—but could they be?

When Frog and Toad snap their tongues at the same “juicy fly” within moments of each other, the insect cries, “I’m being eaten by two frogs!” Frog and Toad take immediate offense, and their prey escapes as they vociferously proclaim their differences amid a barrage of insults. Soon their respective amphibian brethren join in, and verbal gibes devolve into a raucous mud fight. Mantle’s bright, cartoon-style illustrations make great use of layout by separating frogs from toads with the book’s gutter immediately before mud starts flying—for instance, one spread depicts Frog’s and Toad’s tongues in a tug of war over the fly. Mantle again uses this compositional technique to ratchet up tension when an angry alligator appears, their sleep disturbed by the fight. Toad blames the frogs for the noise, and the alligator ultimately says they don't care who started the fuss since frogs and toads are “related” and they all taste the same. Instead of fixating on the threat of a hungry alligator, Frog and Toad express surprise at being relatives and quickly patch things over. “Thanks for showing us we’re all the same, Crocodile!” they say in gratitude, thus sparking a laugh-out-loud twist with the alligator’s outrage at being mistaken for a croc. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Friendly amphibious fare for storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 5, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5362-2369-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Amy Sparkes ; illustrated by Ben Mantle

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by Philip Ardagh ; illustrated by Ben Mantle

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LIGHTHOUSE AND THE LITTLE BOAT
by Katie Frawley ; illustrated by Ben Mantle

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WE'RE GOING ON AN EGG HUNT

From the We’re Going on a…Hunt series

by Goldie Hawk ; illustrated by Angie Rozelaar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2025

The familiar singsong repetitiveness is catchy in all settings, holiday or otherwise.

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A hoppy, snappy Easter version of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Three young tots, with varied skin tones and baskets ready in their hands, eagerly scamper on a spring day to find some eggs. But of course, they meet hindrances along the way. “Ooh, look … // Chickens! / Flapping, pecking chickens.” Thus starts the rolling refrain: “Can’t go over them. / Can’t go under them. / Can’t go around them. // Got to go through them!” The waddling chickens don’t pose much of an obstacle, but they do “Cluck-cluck!” loudly as they scatter in the sun. The three youngsters then must face “fluffy, hungry bunnies” (adorable long-eared puffballs with carrot fronds in their mouths) and “happy, hopping frogs” as they balance on stones to cross a pond. All of this leads to a garden bursting with colorful flowers (“Rustle-swish! / Rustle-swish!”) and finally…10 eggs in pastel patterns. Each egg has a number on it to encourage readers to count along and strengthen their numeracy skills. Rozelaar’s plump and rounded world, with roly-poly trees, flowers, and hills, wraps the tale in coziness.

The familiar singsong repetitiveness is catchy in all settings, holiday or otherwise. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9798887771304

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU

POP-UP

by Sam McBratney ; illustrated by Anita Jeram ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2011

The book is available in just about every format--but this is the perfect one.

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It's hard to believe that a pop-up wasn't the creators' original intention, so seamlessly do moveable parts dovetail into this modern classic's storyline.

In contrast to the tale's 1998 pop -up version, the figures here move on every page, and with an unusually graceful naturalism to boot. From pulling down Big Nutbrown Hare's ears on the opening spread to make sure he's listening to drowsily turning his head to accept a final good-night kiss in a multi-leveled pull-down tableau at the close, all of Little Nutbrown Hare's hops, stretches and small gestures serve the poetically spare text—as do Big Nutbrown's wider, higher responses to his charge's challenges. As readers turn a flap to read Big Nutbrown's "But I love you this much," his arms extend to demonstrate. The emotional connection between the two hares is clearer than ever in Jeram's peaceful, restrained outdoor scenes, which are slightly larger than those in the trade edition, and the closing scene is made even more intimate by hiding the closing line ("I love you right up to the moon—and back") until an inconspicuous flap is opened up.

The book is available in just about every format--but this is the perfect one. (Pop-up picture book. 3-6)