Synopsis:
Every frog is worthwhile—and luckily Froggy has Ted to tell him so.
Hopping through the jungle,
this way, that way.
Frog is in a frenzy,
scattering the ants.
Poor Frog. Someone stole his underpants! Good thing Teddy Bear, Little Chimp, and Big Gray Elephant are there to help—although they may find it hard to hide their smiles. A jungle frog in underpants is something to see in this amusing picture book full of kid appeal.
Reviews:
PreS-K—A teddy bear is walking through the jungle when he meets his friend Frog, who is distraught over the theft of his underpants. Teddy, along with Chimpanzee and Elephant, helps him search for the missing skivvies. Eventually they find a huge group of jungle frogs fighting over their friend's bright red briefs. They stop the battle and start an underwear production line to cover every froggy bottom. However, they soon learn that their friend Frog only wanted to stand out and be special, and Teddy reassures, "'My froggy friend…in underpants or not,/you'll always be a special frog/to me…no matter what.'" The story is told in rhythmic stanzas that are well suited for singing—the tune for "I'm a Little Teapot" works well. The pen and watercolor paintings are full of jungle flora and fauna, and though they are done in a cartoon style, they create a realistic sense of the jungle as a specific place. Full of small details and humor, the art adds a great deal of life to the story. The length and level of detail in the illustrations make it a stretch for use in storytime, but those with smaller, older groups should be able to make it work, and it's a great choice for one-on-one sharing. The plot is slight, but books about underpants are always popular, and the cheeky illustrations of frogs in their new undies will keep this title from lingering on the shelf. A nonessential but fun choice.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN
The silliness begins with the book’s title and cover image, which features a big teddy bear helping a woebegone frog through the jungle. New Zealand author MacIver tells her story through rhyming four-line stanzas, two for each spread, and the steady chug-chug rhythms give the story a perpetual push. It begins with the cheerful bear encountering an orange-spotted jungle frog lamenting his sorry situation: someone has stolen his underpants! The bear tries to keep from laughing, as do most of the animals they meet on their journey. Chapman’s watercolor-and-ink illustrations convey the sweetness and nonstop activity of the various animals, as well as the lushness of the jungle. When the elephant, chimpanzee, bear, and a hundred jungle frogs find the pair of red undies, chaos ensues, followed by a suitably silly solution. Frog distinguishes himself from the other jungle frogs not by his taste in skivvies but by the friendships he has made. Preschool-Grade 1. --Abby Nolan
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