Kirkus Reviews

Joining the rapidly swelling ranks of seemingly innocuous tales for younglings in which main characters are suddenly killed off, this charming outing stars sweet little old Mrs. Collywobbles and the small attack frog that guards her doorstep. The doorstep needs guarding too, as out of the adjacent "big, dark, scary wood" shamble a Greedy Goblin ("Nickerty-noo, nickerty-noo, / if I get a chance / I'll steal from you..."), a Smelly Troll and a Giant Hungry Ogre in succession. All meet the same fate, depicted on spreads with the single word "GOBBLE" and a view of the frog with various disconnected body parts hanging out of its mouth. Mrs. Collywobbles rewards the frog with a transformative kiss—which sets the stage for a final bit of snacking. Set in a mottled, woodsy landscape filled with stylized flowers and leaves, and populated with creatures more ugly than scary-looking, the episode fits neatly among the equally unsettling likes of Jeanne Willis's Tadpole's Promise (2005), illustrated by Tony Ross, and Kara LaReau's Ugly Fish (2006), illustrated by Scott Magoon. (Picture book. 6-8)

School Library Journal (Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Gr 1-4 This is a quirky story in which an old woman who lives alone at the edge of a dark, scary wood is protected by her pet frog. The creature easily handles any danger by swallowing each potential evildoer whole. The first villain to meet his fate is Greedy Goblin, followed by Smelly Troll, and finally Giant Hungry Ogre. As each bad guy nears Mrs. Collywobbles's house, he recites a rhyme themed around his distinct characteristics. "Nickerty-noo, nickerty-noo,/if I get a chance,/I'll steal from you," sings Greedy Goblin. The tale ends with a wicked twist. The narration and illustrations are joined tightly together. The text describes the scene in the pictures, pointing out specific things to notice. "Look! There is little Mrs. Collywobbles, hiding in her bathroom." The pen-and-ink and Macintosh artwork statically captures the "action" and creatively portrays each character. As he gobbles each villain, the frog sits passively with the feet, tail, and clothes of his victim hanging out of his mouth. Bright, flat colors contrast sharply against the white background. Stylized flowers and leaves give the pictures a 1960s look. The odd deadpan humor will not appeal to every child, but older readers and literature students will appreciate the irony of this almost fairy tale. Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Sweet Mrs. Collywobbles is scared of the woods near her house. Luckily, she has a ferocious guard...frog. Monsters are gobbled one after another until Mrs. Collywobbles is safe, but it turns out that the frog might need some protecting, too. Readers will delight in the story's offbeat humor. Bee's blocky pen-and-ink and digital illustrations have a retro charm.