Frog and Toad All Year

Frog and Toad All Year is an American picture book written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel, published by Harper & Row in 1976.[1] It is the third book in the Frog and Toad series, whose four books completed by Lobel each comprises five easy-to-read short stories.

Frog and Toad All Year
First edition
AuthorArnold Lobel
IllustratorLobel
SeriesFrog and Toad
SubjectFriendship[1]
GenreChildren's picture book, short story collection
PublisherHarper & Row (I Can Read)
Publication date
August 1, 1976[2]
Publication placeUnited States
Pages64 pp.
ISBN9780060239503
OCLC873644795
LC ClassPZ7.L7795 Fq3[1]
Preceded byFrog and Toad Together 
Followed byDays With Frog and Toad 

Characters

edit

The two friends, Frog and Toad, are portrayed by the author with human-like personalities and amphibian appearance. The situations in which they find themselves are a cross between the human and animal worlds.[3] Along with Lobel's other Frog and Toad books, Frog and Toad All Year is valued by experts in children's literature for its portrayal of the value of friendship.[4]

Summary

edit

Friends Frog and Toad, who have quite different personalities,[5] have adventures through the seasons...

Down the Hill

edit

Frog invites Toad to go sledding with him, on a trip that doesn't go as planned. Afterwards, Toad opts to continue spending Winter indoors.

The Corner

edit

Frog recalls how he searched for Spring around various corners when he was very young, eventually finding it around the corner of his house. This prompts him and Toad to do another search after the rain clears.

Ice Cream

edit

Toad finds himself in a sticky situation when he buys ice cream cones for himself and Frog, one hot Summer day. He and Frog buy new cones soon afterwards.

The Surprise

edit

Frog and Toad secretly sneak out to rake the other's leaves. However, an Autumn wind gives the two an even bigger surprise.

Christmas Eve

edit

Toad becomes concerned when Frog is late for their Christmas celebration, and considers some horrific possibilities. It turns out, Frog had simply taken some extra time to wrap a Christmas present.[6]

Adaptations

edit

The book has been adapted as a musical, written by Willie and Robert Reale and entitled A Year with Frog and Toad, opened on Broadway, and was also performed by the Second Story Repertory,[7] by Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, and by the Chicago Children's Theatre, among others.[8] The stories have also been produced as an audio book.[citation needed]

Reception

edit

Frog and Toad All Year won a Christopher Award in 1977.[9][10] It is listed in the New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children.[11]

Kirkus Reviews wrote, "We miss some of the resonant psychological heft of this pair's previous experiences, but Frog and Toad can still transform the most ordinary seasonal activities into celebrations."[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 76002343. An I can read book. Lccn.loc.gov. 1976. ISBN 9780060239503. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  2. ^ a b Lobel, Arnold (1976-08-01). "FROG AND TOAD ALL YEAR by Arnold Lobel". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  3. ^ Julia Mickenberg; Lynne Vallone (3 February 2011). The Oxford Handbook of Children's Literature. Oxford University Press. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-0-19-970191-9.
  4. ^ Anita Silvey. The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 270–. ISBN 0-547-34889-4.
  5. ^ "Book Review: The Frog and Toad Series". Eye Level Books. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  6. ^ "Frog and Toad All Year Book Review". Commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  7. ^ Reed, Wendy (May 10, 2011). "Spend an Afternoon with Beloved Frog and Toad". Seattle Child. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  8. ^ "THEATER REVIEW: A Year with Frog and Toad, a musical from Chicago Children's Theatre (3 stars) - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  9. ^ "Christopher Awards - 1970-1979". Book Help Web. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
  10. ^ Bernice E. Cullinan; Diane Goetz Person (2005). The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. A&C Black. pp. 495–. ISBN 978-0-8264-1778-7.
  11. ^ Eden Ross Lipson (2000). The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children. Three Rivers Press. pp. 400–. ISBN 978-0-8129-3018-4.
edit