A Frog in the Bog
A Frog in the Bog
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Board Book ©2003--
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Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Just the Series: Classic Board Books   

Series and Publisher: Classic Board Books   

Annotation: A frog in the bog grows larger and larger as he eats more and more bugs, until he attracts the attention of an alligator who puts an end to his eating.
 
Reviews: 7
Catalog Number: #5724512
Format: Board Book
Special Formats: Board Book Board Book
Copyright Date: 2003
Edition Date: 2015 Release Date: 09/01/15
Illustrator: Rankin, Joan,
Pages: 1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN: 1-481-44452-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-481-44452-1
Dewey: E
Dimensions: 22 x 28 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This rhyming picture book about an amphibian with a big appetite has as much bounce as its titular character's spring-action legs. The "small, green frog/ on a half-sunk log/ in the middle of a bog" has, apparently, an expandable belly that can keep up with his big eyes and quick tongue. He rapidly ingests "<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">one tick/ as it creeps up a stick," "<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">two fleas/ as they leap through the reeds," and so on, until his wildly bulging form comes to the attention of an alligator—whom the frog had mistaken for the half-sunk log. After a dramatic splash, all the creatures involved get their just deserts. Wilson's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Bear Snores On) blend of early learning concepts, humor and wordplay make for a jaunty read-aloud. Rankin's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats) sassy, intricately composed watercolors feature variegated, saturated backgrounds that often look appropriately bog-spattered and sun-dried (even, sometimes, tie-dyed). Throughout, various insects and the frog himself are more crisply rendered, allowing readers to appreciate their comic expressions. Ages 3-7. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

ALA Booklist

A small, hungry frog on a half-sunk log in the middle of the bog grows bigger and bigger as he consumes one tick, two fleas, three flies, four slugs, and five slimy snails. As it turns out, the log is really a partially submerged alligator. After the fat frog figures this out, he opens his mouth to scream in terror--and his dinner walks out into the safety of the bog. Wilson's bouncy, humorous verses mesh well with Rankin's cartoonlike, watercolor illustrations, which fairly teem with visual asides. Particularly amusing are the claustrophobic looks on the faces of the creatures stuck inside the frog's belly and the fast food MacFroggies restaurant pictured on the opening page. For a winning story hour, pair this with Pete Seeger's The Foolish Frog (the book is out of print, but a video is available from Weston Woods) or one of the many versions of I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly .

Horn Book

Unnerving illustrations, created with the aid of a computer, overwhelm this run-of-the-mill story about an elf who falls asleep in a toy plane and mistakenly gets packed and delivered to a boy on Christmas Eve. The book's overload of clashing colors and menacing close-ups (an assembly line of Raggedy Anns is particularly horrific) brings out the tacky side of the holiday.

Kirkus Reviews

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)

School Library Journal

PreS This imaginative counting book will keep children laughing as a little frog eats his way through a variety of swamp delicacies, including "ONE tick," "TWO fleas," "THREE flies (Oh, my!)," "FOUR slugs," and "FIVE snails." Upon consuming each snack, "the frog grows a little bit bigger." After he has reached massive proportions, he is suddenly startled when the log he has been resting on develops a pair of yellow eyes and wide jaws. He screams "Gator!" opening his own mouth so wide that the creatures he has eaten are able to escape from his crowded stomach. The countdown is from five to one as the frog shrinks back to his normal size. Happily, the gator loses interest and swims away, because "the itty-bitty frog/isn't big enough to chomp." This gastronomic adventure is told in catchy rhyming verse, complemented by soft, dreamy watercolors that perfectly re-create the bog. The illustrations are enhanced by humorous details, including a flea circus set up in the background, the frog's jaunty sun hat, and the expressive faces of the swamp creatures crammed into the frog's belly. Reminiscent of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," this quirky counting book makes a fine companion to similar titles such as Marilyn Singer's Quiet Night (Clarion, 2002) and Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Philomel, 1969). Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA

Word Count: 388
Reading Level: 3.1
Interest Level: P-2
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 3.1 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 69594 / grade: Lower Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:2.1 / points:1.0 / quiz:Q38562
Lexile: AD590L
Guided Reading Level: R
Fountas & Pinnell: R

This lyrical and playful read-aloud from the author of New York Times bestselling Bear Snores On is now available in a Classic Board Book edition.

There’s a small green frog on a half-sunk log in the middle of the bog. He eats one tick, two fleas, three flies, four slugs, and five snails. And the frog gets a whole lot bigger.

Then a hungry gator shows up, ready to eat the big fat frog. The frog opens his mouth wide to scream and out comes everything he’s eaten! And the frog gets a whole lot smaller.

The gator swims off, the frog keeps away from the log, and the insects keep away from the frog.

Now available as a Classic Board Book, this rhythmic and humorous story that counts from one to five is perfect for the youngest of readers.


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