Ana Martin Larranaga

Absolutely love this book! I use this in storytime every year that it's still available on our shelves. This year I decided to buy a copy.
Woo wants to run away from home where everyone tells him what to do. More scared than scary, and it takes a daylight excursion, where he gets washed, hung up to dry, and nearly ironed, to come into his own as a ghost.
The illustrations are large and simple, making for a good read aloud to a group. Woo's world is ours, turned time-wise on its head. Little show more ghosts go to bed in the daytime and to school at night. show less

Summary:
This book begins with a Big Wide-Mouthed frog who decided to go see the world. He first comes upon a kangaroo and asks her what she eats. She tells him she eats grass. He shouts at her that he eats flies.Next comes a Koala Bear. When asked what she eats, she replies "leaves." Again, the frog shouts he eats flies. As he continues his journey, he comes upon a possum, who eats blossums. The frog shouts to her that he eats flies. An emu is the next creature to be found. She eats show more grasshoppers. Again, the frog shouts that he eats flies. The last animal, the frog encounters is a crocodile. When she is asked what she eats she tells him that she eats "big wide-mouthed frogs." She then turns the question back to him as to what he eats. The frog whispers his reply "I'm just a small narrow-mouthed frog and I'm off!"

Personal Reaction:
This book makes me laugh everytime I read it. I love the bright colors. I love being able to give the frog his own voice and accent. Mostly, I love his reaction at the end.

Classroom Extensions:
I would use this during a social studies/science module on Australia.
I would also use this as a teaching tool for learning the appropriateness of announcing yourself to others, in a very loud way.
This would also fit into a science module based on the food chain. show less

A funny story for preschoolers who "get" the joke. They love to read along, and to "read" this one over and over to each other. Easy to recall story because it is repetitive and the pictures pretty much tell the story.

This book is great: squishing it and chewing it is fun, and it is quite small so I can turn the pages easily. Mummy and Daddy like it because it distracts me and stops me trying to roll over halfway through a nappy change, and it's easily washed if I accidentally swipe my nether regions with it.