Frogs

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Pickering, Ontario.

Lucy loves frogs with a passion, and lucky for her the pond behind her
house is full of frogs to play with and admire. One night Lucy has a
frog sleepover, and an innocent kiss good night turns a perfectly
wonderful frog into a whimsical prince. Lucy’s first thought at seeing
a prince appear in her bedroom is to try to find a way to get her
beloved frog back. The adults, however, are soon kissing every frog in
sight, and all but a few are sacrificed for the glory of princes. The
townspeople quickly tire of all the princes and their princely ways, and
the princes start to long for their life in the pond. Lucy solves the
dilemma, and the kids celebrate a moral victory for the natural world.

The children are the heroes of this ecological tale as they prefer
simple natural creatures to civilization in all its extravagance and
glamor. The message is serious, but the medium is an extremely humorous
and entertaining picture book.

Michael Martchenko’s familiar and popular style has mass appeal. The
scenes are animated with expressive characterization, lively action, and
delightful hyperbole. The bustling activity in Martchenko’s
illustrations perfectly complements the exuberant textual style.

The primary purpose of this work is to provide kids with a fun-filled
adventure in a comic form. Therefore, the principal value of the book is
its appeal as entertainment. Kids will love it. Recommended for
preschool and primary-grade children.