Little Frog's Tadpole Trouble

October 28, 2013
“Stupid tadpoles,” Little Frog says about his nine new siblings. They can’t do much (“The tadpoles couldn’t even jump”), and they require all of his parents’ attention. Casting the family as frogs lets Feeney show Mommy and Daddy jumping, literally, to fulfill the tadpoles’ needs, netting them out of the bathtub and adding water to the Mason jar they live in. “That’s not nice,” Daddy tells Little Frog. “After all, you were a tadpole once, and very soon they will be little frogs... just like you.” As with her earlier titles, Small Bunny’s Blue Blanket and Little Owl’s Orange Scarf, Feeney strips the story down to the sprightliest details, drawing each frog with a lumpy box body and two blinking, headlamp eyes. The apple-green line drawings set a distinctive detail or two—a fringed picnic blanket, an insect-themed mobile—against white backdrops. It only takes a couple pages for Little Frog to move from resentment to enthusiasm for his new siblings. Feeney’s grasp of picture book pacing and economy is sound, and she delivers the message of patient waiting without sentimentality or snarkiness. Up to age 3.

November 1, 2013
Little Frog becomes a big brother and learns to adapt in this predictable sibling tale. Life is good for Little Frog--that is, until nine new tadpoles join the family. Suddenly, his parents are preoccupied, and resentment sets in. But when the tadpoles turn into frogs, the siblings play together and Little Frog becomes the "best big brother to them all." A pat ending to a rote storyline. Feeney's short text and simple illustrations appear to be for a very young audience, yet the protagonist calls his siblings "stupid," a term that seems more likely to fall from the lips of older children. While the author tries to use the careless phrase as a teachable moment, parents should ready themselves to deal with it as well. Well-composed images, done in pencil with a three-color design, offer an enjoyable layout. Still, while the design is interesting and the linework precise, both the text and artwork are missing a consideration that would have given this tale more substance. A recycled plot for an already-full new-sibling bookshelf. (Picture book. 2-4)

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January 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Meet the Frog family: Mommy, Daddy, and Little Frog. It is just the three of them until Little Frog learns that he is about to become a big brother to nine tadpoles. When his siblings arrive, they can't jump, play the drums, or do much of anything except take up mom and dad's time and attention. His parents are too busy with the babies to read The Frog Prince at bedtime, or give goodnight kisses. Daddy reminds his son that one day soon the tadpoles will become frogs. Indeed, Little Frog discovers that as the tadpoles mature, they can be good playmates and do lots of fun things. Feeney uses whimsical line drawings with an ample amount of white space. The frogs' squarish features are amusing. Although the plot is not terribly strong, and the characters not as charming as the animals in Small Bunny's Blue Blanket (Knopf, 2012), parents will appreciate the positive message about welcoming new siblings into the family.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
Preschool-K A happy frog family of three lives together contentedlyand Little Frog likes it that way. One day Mommy and Daddy tell Little Frog that he is going to be a big brother to not one, not two, but to NINE baby tadpoles. The young amphibian is not impressed, especially since the siblings can't do anythingthey can't play the drums, or build a tower, or even jump. Furthermore, they take up all of Mommy and Daddy's time, with bedtime stories, baths, and care giving. Soon enough the tadpoles grow into little frogs, and in a humorous sideways double-spread page, they prove to be quite adept at building tall towers. White backgrounds and simple line-and-wash drawings in greens and pinks showcase Feeney's charming square froggies, who are full of personality. Subtle distinctions between boy and girl frogs are the dots on their tummies three green ones for the boys and two green and one pink for the girls. A reassuring last page shows how Little Frog is the best big brother to them all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)