Jim Field

I'm not a fan of forced rhymes and repetition, but this book is so absurd it glides right past my objections and really sticks the landing.

This is on my pick of funny books for the year, which I had previously missed out on (no, I don't have that list anywhere, but I probably should).

The story begins with a bossy cat, loudly telling a frog he should be sitting on a log. When the frog demurs, the cat sets out on an explosive journey of rhymes. Only cats can sit on mats and only hares can sit on chairs. There's worse things than sitting on a splintery log though - what about lions sitting on irons or storks on forks? Finally, show more frog wonders what dogs sit on....oops.

Originally published in the UK, the art has what I think of as distinctive British style with pop-eyes and silly details and slightly tilted perspectives. The animals' all have individual expressions ranging from the shocked to the smugly content and as frog learns about proper sitting technique his own expression goes from annoyed to exuberant as he gets into the rhyming game, then resigned at the twist in the ending.

Verdict: A hilarious story that uses rhymes the way they should be used - to make everyone explode in hysterical laughter. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780545687911; Published 2014 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

This is my favorite picture book of 2017 and that's saying quite a lot. I liked it so much in fact that I bought a copy for myself and a copy for my mom (if you know mom then you know why I did this). It's a hilarious, rhyming story about a frog who thinks that the rule that all frogs sit on logs (told to him by a wiseacre cat) is unfair because logs are uncomfortable. What follows is the cat informing the frog about the rules of where certain animals are allowed to sit. (Look out for the show more fleas and make sure you ask the little people you're reading with to find them for you.) If you're using this in a storytime, I encourage you to read with panache and infuse the cat with lots of exasperated attitude. It's a fantastically fun experience when you get your audience invested enough to be shocked by the ending (which is hysterical by the way). The illustrations are absolutely adorable (I'm going to be looking for more works by Jim Field I think) and create another layer of playfulness which I appreciated. I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone (but especially those who work or live with small children). 10/10

Note: It seems that in the UK where this was originally published it was titled Oi Frog! which puzzles me mightily. Also, there's a sequel which is out and which I must get my hands on titled Oi Dog! (I don't get why they would change the name here in the US). show less

Frog on a Log follows a cat who tells a frog what each animal is supposed to sit on. Unhappy with his seat of a log, he pesters the cat by asking questions about where he can sit through playful rhymes and repetition. The book would resonate with young readers because of the bright colors in the illustrations, engaging plot, and rhyming words. It’s very silly as the cat and frog banter back and forth. Looking at it in a bigger picture, this book could raise questions about ethics and show more personal identity. For example, would it be necessarily wrong for the frog to sit anywhere else? How would it affect the other animals? If something makes you uncomfortable, do you still have to do it? Overall, I think this is fun book, but very interesting to analyze in a deeper meaning and make personal connections with. show less