Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Lily Pad: Froggy Love in Monet's Garden

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My kids were interested and entertained by this book. They loved the illustrations and it gave them a great introduction to the art of Claude Monet.

This charming little book introduces the fabulous work of painter Claude Monet, of the French Impressionists, in the guise of a love story between two small frogs who inhabit the lily pond Monet so famously painted in canvas after canvas. Hector and Henriette are married, living amid the splendor of Monet's watery garden. But they have assumed that they are the models for the old man in the straw hat that comes near every day and sets up his easel for hours of work. They don't mind posing, not really, but eventually get bored. Their complaints are rudely interrupted by a crow, who inserts himself into the conversation to announce that it is he, not the frogs that the old man is painting. Of course, the frogs find such an idea outrageous and make no bones about telling the crow what they think of his pretensions.

Before the matter can be settled, the crow flies down and snatches up the newly born tadpoles, shocking the frogs into silence. But the old painter sees this and quickly throws a stone at the crow, freeing the tadpoles and settling the question once and for all. Thankful for the respite for their small, but growing family, the frogs are content once more to pose for the painter. They do so for many years, until, one year the old man doesn't return and they realize this blissful time in their lives has ended.

The illustrations by Kathleen Fain are delightful, as the frogs prop themselves on lily pads, hopping from page to page and hopefully painting to painting. In colors as vivid as the Impressionists, it is possible to imagine a frog or two tucked among the petals or peeking through the greenery. At the end of the story is a gatefold of Monet's Water Lilies, to give the young reader a sample of the master's work. This small, bright volume is a perfect introduction to the world of art, Monet's canvases full of the energy and passion of the Impressionist School. Framed in a silly story of two happy frogs and their tadpoles, children can learn about a wonderful artist who never tired of his garden and the variety it offered to his palette. Luan Gaines/2005.

I have used this book with both a second grade and kindergarten class to integrate ELA, Science and Art. The story includes two frogs in love and their life together in Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, France. The story highlights the life cycle of frogs, pond life habitat, including the presence of predator and prey, as well as providing many opportunities for extended writing activities. The main plot emphasizes the frog life of Hector and Henriette as they watch Monet paint in his favorite garden. It is a perfect book to use when incorporating literature into a thematic unit.