Very much in the same vein as the previous Froggie and Rabbit books, Asher’s latest contribution finds Froggie all hepped up about an impending visit from Goose, Gander and their new baby, Gosling. He’s got so many ants in his pants, he is inspired to compose a little ditty—“Waiting for baby / to play with me. / Wait— / (Can’t wait.) / And wait— / (Gotta wait.)”—that serves as refrain, crescendo and climax. As Froggie’s anticipation builds, Graves steps in to provide visual energy with vivid, rather zany characters in full-page and spot art. When Gosling finally arrives, he is bawling like mad and nothing will quiet him. The colicky gosling is getting to Froggie, so he breaks into his song and does a funky soft shoe, which does the trick. With its scant story line and oversold message, this book is all about engagement; as a read-aloud, it should achieve a strong response to Froggie’s song, especially if accompanied by some freestyling dance steps. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: May 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25085-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2009
An insipid story about making friends, hauntingly illustrated with soft-edged, simplified geometric forms and scumbled colors. A cat and a mouse are each being taught about the world by their mothers, but they aren't paying attention. They find each other in a green meadow, remark on their differences, try to scare each other, and end up playing all day. That night, the mouse's siblings ask, ``How could you have fun with a cat?'' while the cat's siblings want to know ``How could you be friends with a mouse?'' The next day all the cats and mice meet in the meadow and play until their mothers call them home. Confusingly, the pictures show the cats and mice about the same size most of the time. This underlines the didacticism of the story while belying—without much imagination—the natural predator/prey relationship of the animals involved. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-374-31225-7
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An airy, light look at one boy’s day at the bay. Camera in tow, a young naturalist sets out in search of frogs. While there are frogs a-plenty hiding under the dock, behind rocks, and perched on the rim of his hat, his eyes are opened to polliwogs, blue herons, crayfish, hummingbirds, loons and turtles. Rhyming couplets accompany each “snapshot” of nature, forming a short, caption-like storyline for this trip around the bay. At the end of his journey, he wonders if the creatures will say, “I saw a human being today.” Pencil crayon illustrations are pale but peaceful, adding to the meditative, meandering mode. The frogs in every spread will gratify find-and-point toddlers and other young listeners. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-498-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
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