Follow That Frog!

November 23, 2020
In this collaboration by the creators of Special Delivery, intrepid pilot Sadie turns the spotlight over to her aunt Josephine, a bonneted dowager whose intrepid spirit is undimmed by age. She’s still in bed when a loud knock sounds on the door one morning. “It could be a vacuum salesman,” Aunt Josephine calls from under her quilt. “Or more likely, a suitor. But I tell you this! I am quite satisfied with the state of my carpets. And my days of romance are but a memory.” (Stead excels at this particular brand of palaver.) This reminds her, naturally, of the giant frog that swallowed an admiring admiral’s son when she was “blissfully bivouacked in the jungles of Peru” in her youth. Feeling obliged to catalog the frog—if not to save the boy—she chases it across the world, visiting the Canary Islands (littered with small yellow birds) and the Taj Mahal, accumulating a menagerie of companions along the way. Cordell’s loopy, frenetic drawings savor her journey’s every inanity: sailing a bathtub, riding a whale. The waning British Empire tone of Stead’s story bears a family resemblance to Hoban’s Captain Najork books, and the punch line feels a bit abrupt. Still, any vehicle for Cordell’s sweet-tempered mayhem is a treat. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary.

December 1, 2020
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* As young Sadie takes Aunt Josephine her morning tea, she is startled by a loud ""Knock Knock,"" announcing someone at the door. Aunt J tells her not to answer it as it's probably a carpet salesman or another suitor, and she just can't be bothered. The elderly woman then commences to tell a long, convoluted, and very funny tale of her first suitor and how she lost him to a large frog. Her story, which began in Peru, continues around the world through places like Patagonia, Egypt, India, Rome, and the Alps and involves several forms of transportation, such as a ""reluctant"" tortoise, a helicopter, a whale, a boat, and a bathtub. Humorously, Sadie, a dog, and other household creatures--frazzled chickens, some mice, a pig, and a squirrel--follow the woman's tale by watching her large thought bubbles, which appear on many pages, as though they're watching a movie. Cordell's illustrations have the loose, but quite detailed, feel of Quentin Blake, and depict Aunt J's untidy home filled with memorabilia. The font size changes, depending on the knocking, shouting, barking, grunting, or crowing going on at each moment, which adds liveliness to an already vigorously engaging story. A fit ending will please children who will be enthralled with the action and entertainment Aunt J's tale brings.

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January 1, 2021
Following Special Delivery (2015) and The Only Fish in the Sea (2017), a third adventure from Stead and Cordell finds young Sadie playing a supporting role to elderly Aunt Josephine, whose tales of past adventures drive the action. Aunt J directs Sadie to ignore the persistent knocking. "It could be a vacuum salesman. Or more likely, a suitor....I have been the world over, Sadie, and today--I will sleep past noon." But instead of sleeping, she spins a yarn. Beginning with her work as a 9-year-old member of a multiracial scientific team in "the jungles of Peru," Aunt Josephine recounts sighting a giant frog as it swallows the young son (smitten with her) of the recently deceased expedition leader. The frog's escape begets Aunt J's around-the-world journey. "For though I didn't care much for the admiral's son, I do abhor a job unfinished. And it was my job to catalog that frog!" Cordell's visual drollery embellishes the exploits, which include Josephine's dog, a rhea, a parrot, a tortoise, an ordinary frog, and a few canaries. Thought-bubble vignettes show the group at Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and the Roman Colosseum. Over years, a pith-helmeted Josephine hikes, bikes, dives, and pilots a helicopter--all in exuberant but vain pursuit of that frog. Cordell provides hand-lettered display type for some text along with a houseful of domestic animals and visual clues to Josephine's and Sadie's prior adventures. A final page lets readers discover the source of that knocking. Hint: it's no vacuum salesman. Both Sadie and Aunt J present White. More female-powered action from an inspired creative team. (Picture book. 4-7)

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