Customer Reviews

Something Special

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (8/06)

The "Benjamin Franklin Award" was presented to the delightful book, "Something Special" by Terri Cohlene. This book tells the story of a long legged green frog that has received a special gift but doesn't know what it is. His imagination runs wild as he thinks about the gift. "Something Special" by Terri Cohlene is a charming story for young children

The gift can be small or large. It can be planted or blown. The gift is no good until you give it away. What could this special gift be?

This is a wonderful book and I recommend it for young children. They will be fascinated with the brilliant colors and the whimsical illustrations. The writing is simple and beautifully done.

Book received free of charge

Rebeccasreads highly recommends SOMETHING SPECIAL as a big & bold picture book, filled with funny details, that pulls you from page to page with hilarious images & wishes... until the end, the sweet & funny end.

A curious frog encounters a gift in the moat where he lives. What can it be? A bug? A butterfly? A fish? A cake? What surprise would a frog in a fairy tale imagine is inside the gift?

Very well done! A keeper for your family's library.

Marvelously illustrated by Doug Keith, Something Special is a picturebook book story by Terri Cohlene that tells of a curious little frog who encounters a royal gift outside his home near a castle moat. What is the gift? "It can say hello / and it can say goodbye / It can be small and silent / or big and loud / It can come as a surprise / and warm you to your toes / It can be planted / or blown". The gift is a simple kiss, but each descriptive phrase is vividly illustrated in a whimsical artwork; for example, the phrase "it can be planted" is marvelously illustrated by a picture of huge beanstalk spiraling toward the clouds, with the frog nestled on a leaf. A visually stunning book that is a joy to share by reading aloud to the very young.

We travel with a young frog as he collects the clues that will help him solve a special riddle.This is a book with a pure, simple message; reminding us that we often out-think ourselves. Our preschooler loved following the frog from page to page. Even now that she knows the answer, we've still been asked to read it for several nights in succession. The illustrations are captivating, making the story a fun read. Even with all the visual clues, we didn't figure it out the first time. Buy! There will be days where you will just want to stare at the pictures. They are that neat. There are many learning opportunities here: every frog is a prince (we are all beautiful); patience; opposites, cliché, and creative thinking. Last but not least, Riddles make great gateways to opening one's imagination and pushing the brain in new directions.

What can say hello and goodbye, can be small and silent as well as big loud, and be planted, blown or thrown?

In the delightful picture book Something Special, a curious little frog encounters a mysterious gift outside his home near a castle moat. With only the clue "it's something special", he searches high and low, far and wide, for the answer to a puzzling riddle. Will you guess the surprise before he does?

Written by Terri Cholene, Something Special features whimsical illustrations by Doug Keith. I have to say that I enjoyed the artwork in this book more than any other picture book I've read. Hairy bugs carrying suitcases, spotted frogs throwing snowballs, and a turtle bearing a goopy insect cake upon its back are but a few of the delightful images conveying the tale of a magical gift.

My favorite part of the book, however, is the artistic rendering of the words. Drawn as flames, icing, branches, stones, and vines-not to mention convex text that appear to be fancifully encased in bubbles-the depiction of the words of the story are utterly enchanting. I found myself marveling at each page; it's not often that the words of a picture book are as charming as the story itself.

Geared towards ages 3-8, Something Special would make a wonderful addition to a child's library, for both the beautiful illustrations and the uplifting tale of the magical gift inside.

This is truly an adorable and thought-provoking tale for small children. It tells the story of an inquisitive little frog who lives near a castle moat. One day when his tiny black eyes were peeping above the water, he saw a very colorful royal gift box that sent his imagination soaring. He knew it definitely contained something special - but what could it be?

As children turn the pages of this vividly illustrated book, they begin a fantastic journey with the little frog as he searches for clues about the contents of the gift box. Their pilgrimage will take them high into a beanstalk where a caterpillar is happily munching along. There in that beanstalk they learn that the gift in the box can say, "Hello." Later, on a sailboat with the wind billowing the sails, they learn that the gift in the box can be blown. As each new clue is discovered, they can ponder what the frog thinks the gift is by watching the many expressions on his scrunched up face. It can warm you. It can be planted. It can be thrown. What can this something special be? In the end, children will discover what the gift is, and they will come to realize that this magical gift is no good at all until you give it away.

***** The illustrations in this book are stunning and the attention to the smallest detail is remarkable - like the tiny black ant that is pushing a snowball and wearing a red scarf around his neck. The act of turning each page opens another part of the little frog's color filled world to delight children everywhere. Even the cover has immediate eye appeal. Green vines twist and twine themselves around the page to form each letter of the title, Something Special, and most children won't fail to notice the miniature snail and dragonfly who are also doing their part. When you couple that expressive script along with the little green frog's smiling face and curious eyes, what could be a more captivating and picturesque scene?

This is an enchanting book, and is highly recommended for bedtime reading. *****

Reviewed by Ruth Wilson of Huntress Reviews.

This is truly an adorable and thought-provoking tale for small children. It tells the story of an inquisitive little frog who lives near a castle moat. One day when his tiny black eyes were peeping above the water, he saw a very colorful royal gift box that sent his imagination soaring. He knew it definitely contained something special - but what could it be?

As children turn the pages of this vividly illustrated book, they begin a fantastic journey with the little frog as he searches for clues about the contents of the gift box. Their pilgrimage will take them high into a beanstalk where a caterpillar is happily munching along. There in that beanstalk they learn that the gift in the box can say, "Hello." Later, on a sailboat with the wind billowing the sails, they learn that the gift in the box can be blown. As each new clue is discovered, they can ponder what the frog thinks the gift is by watching the many expressions on his scrunched up face. It can warm you. It can be planted. It can be thrown. What can this something special be? In the end, children will discover what the gift is, and they will come to realize that this magical gift is no good at all until you give it away.

***** The illustrations in this book are stunning and the attention to the smallest detail is remarkable - like the tiny black ant that is pushing a snowball and wearing a red scarf around his neck. The act of turning each page opens another part of the little frog's color filled world to delight children everywhere. Even the cover has immediate eye appeal. Green vines twist and twine themselves around the page to form each letter of the title, Something Special, and most children won't fail to notice the miniature snail and dragonfly who are also doing their part. When you couple that expressive script along with the little green frog's smiling face and curious eyes, what could be a more captivating and picturesque scene?

This is an enchanting book, and is highly recommended for bedtime reading. *****

Whimsical description of many variations on the theme of a `something special' that is only revealed on the last page.... A kiss.