A FROGGY FABLE

A simple take on the theme that travel is broadening. A solitary frog rejoices in quiet, unvarying routine, but learns to accept change after escaping from captivity and hopping cross-country back to his pond. Reflecting his debut’s uncomplicated plot, Lechner draws both frog and woodsy backdrops in pale hues with a few strokes of pen and watercolor brush; the frog’s mouth is just a straight line that subtly signals mood changes with slight curves up or down. The author also offers no overt moral, so literal-minded readers, especially those faced with life changes and not fond of the prospect, may need follow-up discussion, or a more direct treatment such as Mary Murphy’s Some Things Change (2000). (Picture book. 5-7)