Frog - Hardcover

Cooper, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068984302X ISBN 13: 9780689843020

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 2002

Synopsis

Charming illustrations and lively text combine to tell the tale of Little Joe, who, longing to learn how to swim like everyone else in his family, finds comfort in a little frog who helps him to overcome his fears.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Cooper is one of our most distinguished children's book authors. The Grey King, part of her five-book sequence, The Dark Is Rising, won the Newbery Medal. The Dark Is Rising, the first book in the sequence, was the only Newbery Honor Book of its publication year. Two other books in the sequence were runners-up for Britain's Carnegie Medal. Susan Cooper's most recent novel, King of Shadows, was awarded a Boston Globe -- Horn Book Honor.

Born in England, Susan Cooper was a reporter and feature writer for the London Sunday Times before coming to live in the United States. Her television screenplays for adults have received two Writers Guild Awards and two Emmy nominations. Susan Cooper lives in Connecticut with her actor husband, Hume Cronyn.

Reviews

reSchool-Grade 2-His mother swims "like a powerboat" and his siblings move through the water like fish. Little Joe, however, cannot swim at all. But one day a small frog hops into the pool from its nearby pond, and the child spends time observing the way it kicks its strong back legs. After the various family members' failed attempts to capture it, he climbs into the pool, cups the frightened creature in his hand, and releases it to its own habitat. Then "he kicked with his legs, and he swam all the way across the pool, just like Frog." This story of triumph over a difficult task is told briefly and simply from the child's vantage point. Watery endpapers usher in watercolor scenes of a family enjoying their pool on a hot day. Frog's desperate attempts to climb out are depicted in repeated illustrations of the animal in different positions, and the close-up of frog and boy reveals their special bond. However, Little Joe's swim across the pool happens so quickly that it strains credibility. Jonathan London's character in Froggy Learns to Swim (Viking, 1995) needs much more help and may strike a more sympathetic note with young readers.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Cooper (The Dark Is Rising) introduces the protagonist's predicament in this amiable tale in the first three spreads, with one brief line of text each: "Little Joe couldn't swim. His sister and brother swam like fishes. His mom swam like a powerboat." Joe, however, can only splash about and spends most of his time watching from the edge of the swimming pool. Then one day a frog hops into the pool, and Joe observes it as it swims around and struggles to climb back out. Cooper's text combined with realistic illustrations keep the amphibian true to its nature. While the rest of the family makes a big commotion as each tries to catch the little green visitor, it's quiet Joe who comes to its aid. Rescuer and rescuee share a moment at the pool's edge ("Frog and Little Jo looked at each other,... `Go home, Frog. Go home where it's safe' "). British artist Browne (who, incidentally, is married to artist Anthony Browne) then shows a full-bleed painting of the frog returning to its idyllic environs. Joe tries swimming again, applying his observations of the frog, and makes it across the pool. Simply framed, Cooper's story will fortify any child who's ever been uncertain around the water, and the added thread of interaction between boy and frog enriches the tale. Browne's watercolors in soothing and appropriately watery shades of blue and green, alternate full-page paintings with tightly focused vignettes that quietly build to a climax. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5-8. Cooper, best known for her elaborate fantasies for middle readers, offers a slice of contemporary life in picture-book form. Little Joe can't really swim--splashing around is more like it. That's too bad because the family has a pool, and everyone else swims just fine. Joe is fascinated by a tiny frog in the pool that swims by kicking its back legs through the water. His dad is less enamored and tries to scoop the critter out of the water with a net. Little Joe's brother and sister try to catch it, too. Eventually, it's Joe who quietly slips into the water and gently removes the frog, which hops away. Then everything clicks into place; Joe practices kicking his legs like the frog--he's swimming. This is very slight, but children who have their own troubles in the water may appreciate the encouraging story. Browne's paintings are solid and realistic, though they are most alive when the curious frog is in the scene. For larger collections. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068984302X
• ISBN 13: 9780689843020
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Browne Jane
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32