A Frog in the Bog

by Karma Wilson, Joan Rankin (Illustrator)

Overview

From the bestselling author of "Bear Snores On" comes this hilariously illustrated story that teaches young readers the concept of counting from one to five and back again. Full color.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689840814
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	09/01/2003
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Joan Rankin has illustrated more than twenty-five books for children. She received the South African HAUM Dann Retief Prize for Children’s Book Illustration in 1986 and the Katrina Harris Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991. Books she has illustrated include A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Bear Snores On author Karma Wilson teams with illustrator Joan Rankin to serve up this tasty morsel of a picture book about a frog and his appetite gone awry.

When "a frog on the log in the middle of a bog" spots a solitary tick, he gulps it up and happily "grows a little bit bigger...." The hungry croaker's belly isn't satiated, though, and after he slurps "TWO fleas as they leap through the reeds," "THREE flies as they buzz through the skies," and more unsuspecting insects, the frog's stomach has grown to mammoth proportions. But when the frog's seat "starts to rise...and the frog sees eyes!," a big "GATOR!" scream lets all the insects scurry out of his mouth, leaving the poor critter "right in the middle of his holler...a whole lot smaller" and bugs leery of going near him again.

With rhyme schemes that tickle your tongue and Rankin's silly watercolor illustrations, kids will surely snicker over this frog's tummy-turning situation. Hilarious scenes of the bugs crowded inside the frog's belly, their eventual escape to freedom, and plenty of slyly placed extras (like a line of flies at the "flyrodrome") are on target for rip-roaring storytellings and other times when readers need a pick-me-up. A boggy delight to tickle your funny bone. Matt Warner

bn.com

A simple counting rhyme relates the tale of a frog who eats his way through the bog: one tick, two fleas, three flies, and so on. Eventually, he gets so fat that the "log" upon which he sits takes notice and reveals itself to be a hungry alligator. The frog's panicked scream allows the contents of his tummy to escape, and out they come, from five snails, to four slugs, back down to the one tiny tick. The appropriately folksy text is nicely complemented by pale, splashy watercolors that evoke the swampy setting perfectly. Frog, fleas, flies, and the other "meals" learn a gentle lesson-the smallest ones stay away from the frog, who therefore stays small enough himself that the gator won't pay him any attention. Since the counting only goes up and down to five and everyone is safe at the end, this is especially suitable for the youngest beginning counters. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

"The tautly told tale, dramatic surprise, and appropriate comeuppance for the protagonist will delight young listeners."
— Horn Book Guide

"Wilson's bouncy, humorous verses mesh well with Rankin's cartoonlike, watercolor illustrations, which fairly teem with visual asides."
— Booklist

"This imaginative counting book will keep children laughing...."
— School Library Journal

"Wilson's blend of early learning concepts, humor, and wordplay make for a jaunty read-aloud."
— Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher