FABULOUS FROGS

An overview of the fantastic variety found among the over 5,000 frog species of the world.

Jenkins opens with a pre–copyright page summary of frog facts: they are carnivores, most of whom hop or jump, that do some of their breathing through their skin and are mostly found where it is warm and damp; almost all lay eggs and go through a tadpole stage (the word “metamorphosis” is not used). The primary text goes on to point out some of the tremendous variety in the genus in text that both echoes the topic (the goliath frog’s page says simply “This frog is huge (for a frog),” and the word “huge” is large on the page) and splits between simple sentences for younger audiences and a smaller-font paragraph of further info for older listeners. Other attributes highlighted include miniscule size, a strange nose, ability to jump far quickly, noisy, and “hairiness,” among others. Other frogs are notable for their actions—the male Darwin’s frog keeps its babies in a pouch in its throat, for example. Hopgood’s mixed-media artwork is rich in greens and browns and full of splattery textures, especially the frogs.

Most frog books focus on life cycle; this one nicely highlights diversity instead.