999 Frogs... and a Little Brother

999 Frogs and a Little Brother
by Ken Kimura; illus. by Yasunari Murakami
40 pages; ages 4-8
North/South Books, 2015

theme: friendship

It was spring. At the edge of the big big pond, 999 tadpole brothers were playing together.
999 tadpoles were doing well.
998 tadpoles sprouted legs.

So... when the other tadpoles use their froggy legs to frog-kick across the pond, one little tadpole is left behind. And when they use their skinny froggy arms to swim, that last little tadpole is left behind. And when they lose their tails and JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! out of the pond, the last little tadpole watches them go.

And then he hears a tiny voice calling "Big Brother!" It is a young crayfish, and the two of them form a strong amphibian-crustacean brother bond. Which lasts as long as it takes for mama crayfish to find her lost baby.

What I like about this book: The wonderfully simple illustrations of frogs. And crayfish. And the big bad snake. (Did I neglect to mention the snake? ooooh.... he's hungry and loves to eat frogs.) I like stories about unlikely heroes, and people (or frogs) pulling together to help save someone from certain death and ingestion. And it reminds me a whole lot about the story of people trying to pull a humongous turnip out of the garden. Plus 999 is a really big number.

Beyond the book: It's the wrong season to find tadpoles, but you just might find some frogs making a last-minute dash to a wintering spot. Snakes and crayfish will be settling in for winter, too - at least here in the northern hemisphere.

What sort of frogs live near you - and where do they go in the winter? We have wood frogs around these parts. They hibernate in the winter. Draw a picture of a frog that lives in your area.

Why don't frogs freeze in the winter? They turn into "frogcicles". Learn more here and here. How cold does it get where you live? Maybe you can put up an outdoor thermometer on your porch and write down the temperatures every day.

Listen to some frog songs. When the frogs stop calling, you can click here to listen to an hour of frog choruses.

Play Leap Frog with some friends.

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from the publisher.

Toad Weather

Toad Weather
by Sandra Markle; illus. by Thomas Gonzalez
32 pages; ages 4-8
Peachtree, 2015

OK, I'll admit it... I chose this book by the cover. I mean, how can anyone resist those boots? Or a toad?

theme: animals, nature
In the gloomy gray
of a March day
 the spring rain keeps falling.

Ally wants to go outside but it's wet out there. Umbrella and boot weather. But Mama has seen something important, so off they go, splish-splashing their way down the city sidewalks. There are reflections in the puddles, colors swirling on the water, and the sound of raindrops drumming on their slickers. And a surprise: a sign that says TOAD DETOUR.

What I like about this book:
Lots of sounds. Lots of rain. And TOADS! Everywhere! Hopping, plopping, trying to make their way to their pond. Which means crossing the road. Will people help them? 

Beyond the book:

What kind of toads (or frogs) live around you? I always find American Toads in my garden, hiding in the shade. Sometimes in the lawn. Take a field guide with you and see who's living in your neighborhood.

How far do toads travel in a single hop? Not far. If you have some toads hanging around your yard, you can measure how far they hop by placing stones or sticks on the ground. Then get a ruler to measure. Compare toad jumps to the jumps of frogs or grasshoppers or crickets - or even you. But to make it fair, compare jump distance to body size.

Is a toad a frog? And how can you tell? (some hints here)

Go on a night walk. Around here, spring peepers can get pretty noisy late in the day. Once the sun falls the night can be positively noisy with frog and toad songs. Here are some of the calls you might hear of you go for a night walk or leave your windows open at night.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from the publisher.

Noisy Frogs!

Noisy Frog Sing-Along
by John Himmelman
32 pages; ages 4 - 9
Dawn Publications, 2013

If you think frogs only sing during the spring... just head to the nearest pond, close your eyes, and listen. Ignore the whine of hungry mosquitoes...

Even though it's late summer, frogs are still active. And they're still noisy.

Author-illustrator John Himmelman takes you on a musical tour of frog calls, from peepers to mink frogs and toads. Frogs don't even have to open their mouths to sing; they fill up their "big, bulgy throat pouches" and let loose with squeaks, quacks, chirps, plunks and more. There are toads that sound like angry sheep and tree frogs that "meep".

Himmelman includes some wonderful information about the noisy frogs at the back of the book, and some links to hear frog calls.You can hear the frogs in the book at https://soundcloud.com/dawn-publications/sets/noisy-frog-sing-along-frog - and listen to more frog calls at LEAPS http://www.leaps.ms/soundpage.htm.

Himmelman also shares the secrets of "taming the wild frogs" (hint: it takes patience and worms) and gives directions for building a house for a toad - which is great because slugs eat garden veggies and toads eat slugs...

Why I like this book: for years I've been singing with the frogs. Now, finally, a songsheet!

This is part of the STEM Friday round-up. Check out the other books and resources reviewed this week.
Review copy provided by the publisher.