This is Frog

This is Frog is a dynamic, energetic picture book that is interactive fun from beginning to end – and back again for the repeated readings that are sure to be requested.

A chatty, amiable narrator introduces Frog and then offers some clarifying information: “Well, actually, this is Tree Frog, but his friends call him Frog. Frog lives in the rainforest.” Readers are then personally invited to lend a helping hand by shaking the book to help Frog jump. More surprises are in store on the next page when Frog has seemingly jumped right off the top of the page and out of the book, and readers are encouraged to run their fingers along and follow him. Frog is found no worse for wear on the following spread, but Frog is upside down, so needs to be pushed upright. After a swarm of buzzing flies are blown in Frog’s direction, the nonplused amphibian has a momentary lapse of memory, and readers are asked to remind Frog what to do with a tasty snack.

The clever layout and design includes cutaway pages in the shape of leaves that can be flipped over to camouflage Frog from the nefarious advances of a too-close-for-comfort toucan. A die-cut hole in the covering allows Frog’s pinprick pupil to peek through. Jacqui Lee’s watercolour and gouache illustrations are alive with eye-popping background colours, like lush tropical greens, warm oranges and yellows, and cool sapphire blues. Frog’s gaze is usually fixed directly on the reader, and subtle changes capture his emotions, from closed-eyed, blissed-out satisfaction when his belly is full, to a nervous downward glance when he makes a big splash into the water.

The witty, voice-over narration is peppered with conversational phrases (“Ooh, look”) and praise for the reader (“Great work! Give yourself a round of applause”). The simply stated, declarative sentences like, “Quick – pull the book towards you to save Frog!”, provide well-paced comedic timing and move the plot along and are also perfect for gauging reading comprehension.

Readers will eagerly jump right into the many opportunities to play and learn that This is Frog offers, from counting drops to tracing patterns. A circular ending to this “whopping, hopping, non-stopping interactive book” invites more boisterous fun: “Shut the book and shake it to revive Frog so that he’s ready for another un-frog-ettable adventure!”