The Frog Book

by Steve Jenkins, Robin Page

Overview

Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page explore form, color, and pattern, and capture the very unique nature of frogs in this brilliantly illustrated picture book. Perfect for fans of The Beetle Book, and young readers looking for nonfiction about this perennially fascinating animal.

Long legs, sticky tongues, big round eyes, and other dazzling features—what's not to love about frogs? 

In this magnificently illustrated picture book, Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page explore one of the world's most diverse—and most threatened—animals. With more than 5,000 different frog species on the planet, in every color of the rainbow and a vast number of vivid patterns, no creatures are more fascinating to learn about or look at. Jenkins and Page present a stunning array of these intriguing amphibians and the many amazing adaptations they have made to survive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544387607
Publisher:	HMH Books
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,215,291
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have written and illustrated many nonfiction picture books for young readers, including the Caldecott Honor–winning What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? They live in Boulder, Colorado. Visit Steve at stevejenkinsbooks.com.     

Editorial Reviews

"[C]ompelling graphic design, hand-lettered text, and multiple images on oversize pages effectively present the surprising diversity of the small creatures....Eye-catching visuals and intriguing material make this overview of all things frog a first-rate choice."–School Library Journal, STARRED review

"Once again, Jenkins and Page prove their ability to choose interesting examples, write short, child-friendly explanations, and portray salient features of animals with deftly cut and torn paper images set on white paper."–Kirkus

"As if frogs themselves weren't sufficient draws, this picture book offers vibrant, attention-getting illustrations that hop off pages."–Booklist, STARRED review

From the Publisher

★ Winter 2018

Gr 1–5—Arresting illustrations and informative text offer a fascinating introduction to the world of frogs. With more than 5,500 species, these amphibians can be found on every continent but Antarctica. In addition to spreads explaining the complex process of metamorphosis and a frog's basic body structure, the book includes examples of species of many colors, shapes, and sizes. The authors explore unusual ways frogs attract mates, help their offspring survive, and defend themselves from enemies, and explain where they live and what they eat. Frog eyes draw readers' gaze to the pages, the colors and patterns of the collage illustrations demanding attention. Small silhouettes help visualize the relative size of various species large and small through, for instance, an image comparing a frog to an adult's hand. As in Jenkins's acclaimed The Beetle Book, the compelling graphic design, hand-lettered text, and multiple images on oversize pages effectively present the surprising diversity of the small creatures. The book ends on a somber note about current threats of extinction to many species. A helpful chart provides data about the size, diet, and location of each frog pictured. VERDICT Eye-catching visuals and intriguing material make this overview of all things frog a first-rate choice.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

School Library Journal

2018-09-23

A prolific author/illustrator couple explores the world of frogs.

Once again, Jenkins and Page prove their ability to choose interesting examples, write short, child-friendly explanations, and portray salient features of animals with deftly cut and torn paper images set on white paper. They introduce frogs as "creatures of two worlds," water and land. The next spread displays half-sized images of 10 of the more than 5,500 frog species currently identified, showing an adult human hand in comparison. In two subsequent spreads, they highlight distinguishing characteristics of frogs as well as of the subset that are called toads, and they define the three major groups of amphibians: frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians. They show development from egg through tadpole to adult. Then come examples of remarkable behaviors, drawn from varied environments around the world. These behaviors include adaptations for attracting a mate, caring (or not caring) for eggs, habitat, diet, and defenses. Finally, in a spread on threats, they compare frogs to a "canary in a coal mine" (explaining the reference). A concluding table lists all 30 frogs shown, with body length, diet, and range and acts as an index by indicating page numbers where these frogs can be found. (Helpfully and fairly unusually, for a picture book, there are numbers on every spread.) The backmatter also includes a good list of other books for young readers as well as internet sources.

Another appealing title in a long series of demonstrations of nature's wonders. (Informational picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews

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