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47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classics for Children, June 15, 2000
I've told my children that when yard sale time comes around, Frog and Toad books stay. I'm holding them for the grandchildren. The Frog and Toad books have held up well - my oldest 'child' is 32, my youngest not yet 9, and everyone has heard Frog and Toad stories over and over. This book, published in 1970, is the first of four. The two friends are somewhat like the Odd Couple, two best friends with distinctly different personalities. Frog is usually cheerful, while Toad tends to view things from a darker side. In "Spring", Frog convinces Toad that Spring really is here, that it is worth it to get out of the bed where Toad's been lying for so long his calendar still says November. In "The Story", Toad (who isn't quite as much a creative thinker as Frog) struggles to think up a story to cheer up his ailing friend - he struggles so hard that Frog ends up comforting him! "A Lost Button" is an amusing story about a search for (you guessed it) a lost button - Toad's lost his button, and Frog spends his time looking for it - they find many buttons, but not the one Toad's looking for, which turns up back at Toad's house. He reward his friend by sewing him a special jacket filled with all the buttons. In "A Swim", the self-conscious Toad tries to hide while putting on his swim suit, but ends up being seen by everyone, wearing his funny striped suit. Even Frog laughs at him - but he manages to walk home with dignity. "The Letter" is the last story in this book. Like many little children, Toad loves getting letters but is really sad because nobody writes to him. Frog comes to the rescue, eventually, with the help of a turtle mail carrier. The stories are short, sweet and about friendship, but in a simple manner. Drawings of Frog and Toad are on almost every page, and are detailed enough to warrant a lengthy view and some comments from young readers. The words are understandable and readable enough for very young readers, yet they manage to hold a story with an amusing message.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific read for children and adults, June 7, 2000
Because I am dedicated to reading aloud to my kids, I tend to review a book based upon whether or not it makes a good read-aloud book. All of the Frog and Toad books, and especially this one, are simply terrific for reading aloud. My (four-year-old) daughter and I both love this book. The stories are funny and become funnier with each re-reading. For example, in the final story, Frog writes Toad a letter because Toad never receives mail and becomes sad every day at mailtime. Frog proceeds to give his letter to a snail for delivery. Frog cannot stand the suspense of waiting for the snail to deliver the letter, so he tells Toad about the letter and relates the contents. Together, they happily wait for the letter to arrive, which takes four days. Every time we read this story, my daughter laughs because Frog gave his letter to a snail, when everyone knows that snails are the slowest creatures alive. The Frog and Toad books represent a perfect bridge from picture books to books where the words provide the story and the illustrations are infrequent and/or merely supplemental. The stories in these books are carried forward by the words, but the illustrations on each page would keep even the most dedicated picture-liking child happy. If you're looking for a book to read aloud to your four to five year old, give Frog and Toad a try. You won't be sorry.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
True Green Friends, December 5, 1999
"Toad said, 'Frog you are looking quite green.' 'But I always look green,' said Frog. 'I am a frog.' 'Today you look very green even for a frog,' said Toad. 'Get into my bed and rest.' So begins one of five expertly crafted episodic chapters in this endearing Caldecott Honor beginning reader classic. Frog and Toad, true green friends, will leap into the hearts of any reader, beginning or advanced. Through rhyme and repetition of high frequency words, such as "said," Lobel crafts a text that is predictable, but not without surprises, and highly accessible to the beginning reader. Tasteful and simple, the illustrations do not overpower the text. Instead, they become more prominent where the text becomes unpredictable. For example, when Frog is sick and asks Toad to tell him a story, Toad goes through a series of unanticipated actions in an attempt to make a story pop into his head, including standing on his head, pouring water over his head, and banging his head against a wall. In this section of text, Lobel includes additional illustrations, providing visual clues to the potentially struggling decoder. Frog and Toad are Friends stands in a class of its own, as beginning reader books are rarely acknowledged for achieving excellence in writing. Frog and Toad are two unforgettable characters, and young readers may wonder whether they resemble either Frog or Toad more. They will also undoubtedly long to have Frog and Toad for friends.
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