Frog & Friends

July 1, 2013
This appealing offering presents a series of clues to a riddle with the answer revealed on a final, fold-out page. The unnamed, first-person narrator describes, in one simple sentence per spread, an enjoyable day with friends, which include ducks, a beaver, frogs, turtles, snails, dragonflies and fireflies. The final page asks, "What am I?" and a vertical fold-out reveals an answer that no one will likely guess: a pond. The simple text is appropriately large and bold, and the delightful illustrations feature thick lines, chunky, smiling critters, and a vibrant, natural color scheme. Despite the potential confusion engendered by the title--which suggests that the first-person narrator is a frog--the riddle concept works well, and the answer, which readers of any age will be unlikely to guess, rightly encourages them to perceive the pond as not simply a backdrop, but an integral part of a thriving ecosystem. In a companion title, Owl and Friends, a tree tells readers about all the happy times it shares with forest animals as readers try to guess its identity. An engaging riddle book with standout illustrations, especially the final foldout, which is filled with merry creatures being regarded by a cheerful sun and a content, pigtailed little girl. (Board book. 1-4)

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