Fribbity Ribbit! - Hardcover

Johnson, Suzanne C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375811990 ISBN 13: 9780375811999

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2001

Synopsis

A frog goes from the backyard into the house and causes havoc in every room. With engaging sound effects, rhythmic text, and just the right amount of repetition, this is a fantastic family read-aloud. And Debbie Tilley's infectiously funny art shows the hilariously cumulative effect of the frog on this hapless family. A winning combination.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

from the backyard into the house and causes havoc in every room. With engaging sound effects, rhythmic text, and just the right amount of repetition, this is a fantastic family read-aloud. And Debbie Tilley's infectiously funny art shows the hilariously cumulative effect of the frog on this hapless family. A winning combination.

Reviews

reS-Gr 2-"Frog in my backyard! Fribbity-ribbit. Got him? Ribbity-fribbit. Oops!" Does this pesky frog take advantage of its narrow escape to clear the area? Of course not. It lands on Dad's face while he is trying to fix his car. It wreaks havoc in Grandpa's kitchen, sits on Granny's computer keys and sets off all sorts of noises, jumps into Sister's bath, and even rides Baby's toy train. Before long, every member of the family, even the pets, has experienced the annoying frog's antics, and, one by one, they join the boy in trying to capture it. All of this mayhem is accompanied by great sound effects that young readers will delight in imitating and they're sure to chime in on the repeated question, "Got him?" The double-page cartoon illustrations, rendered in watercolor and ink, explode with activity as more and more people join in the chase, first in one direction across the two pages, then in the other. The jumping frog cuts across everyone's path, causing a pileup, while the cat featured on the cover is suspended in midair, its hair standing on end. The expressions on the frog's face as it sticks out its tongue in glee or rolls its eyes in mischief are priceless. The pictures are filled with visual jokes. Grandpa is cooking frog's legs; there's a picture of Granny playing leapfrog with a grandchild. The delightful romp comes full circle, and guess who has the last laugh? Ribbit!-Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In Johnson's debut children's book, pandemonium reigns when a boy chases a backyard frog through the house. At each turn of the page, another family member joins the long line of people chasing the green amphibian as he jumps from Grandpa's kitchen to the dog's bowl to the baby's train and eventually into the backyard again. Tilley (Riddle-icious) characterizes the frog as both sly and slightly manic, and her loose-lined, expressive watercolor illustrations create a slapstick mood. The frog pops out of Brother's sax, slides through the paint in Mama's studio and splashes through Sister's bath. Johnson's text incorporates plenty of high-energy activity and imitative sounds: "Frog in Dog's bowl./ Fribbity-ruff-/ ruff-/ ruff-/ ruff-ruff!/ Frog in Granny's office./ Fribbity-beep-beep-/ beeeeep!/ Ribbity-beep/ -ba-beep-/ beep!" Tilley adds visual impact to the text's sound effects by portraying the household's growing chaos. The youngest members of the family end up riding Grandpa's wheelchair like circus performers; the boy carries his father piggyback; and Mama wears the frightened cat on her head. By the end of the book, after pages of verbal tongue-twisters, readers may feel an urge to ribbit themselves. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0375811990
• ISBN 13: 9780375811999
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Tilley Debbie
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40