Fabulous Frogs (Read and Wonder)

Jenkins and Hopgood are both experienced British authors who have turned out plenty of picture books and nonfiction titles, but neither of them really clicked in my mind until someone had the brilliant idea of combining them to create an absolutely fabulous book about Fabulous Frogs.

The endpapers begin the fun with deep blue water and cloudy splashes of green algae dotted with black tadpoles. A bold yellow background introduces the basics of frogs and then the information begins. Each spread features a different frog with a simple sentence, perfect for reading aloud. Additional information about the specific frog is included in a smaller paragraph. "This frog never leaves the water" accompanies a textured brown frog with pinkish feet. show more The small paragraph tells the reader it's an African clawed frog, along with a simple fact or two. The final spread shows some more pictures of frogs and gives a simple index to the previous pages.

This is the same format as Candlewick's stunning books about Australian animals, but Hopgood's illustration style is a whole different ballgame from the swirling, messy watercolors of that series. Brilliant colors, emphasizing greens, and art that appears to combine lush paint and cut paper collage explode across the page. The vibrant colors showcase the amazing variety of frogs and their unique talents perfectly.

Verdict: You can never have too many frog books and you absolutely must have this one. Perfect for storytime, kids reading on their own, or introducing kids to different kinds of frogs. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780763681005; Published 2016 by Candlewick; Purchased for the library show less

The author and illustrator's enthusiasm for frogs absolutely shines through this bright, informative book. Primary text in larger font is good to read aloud for younger audiences, while smaller secondary text provides more detail.

Beautiful endpapers show tadpoles in transition, and back matter includes some additional frogs ("[we] wanted to get as many frogs as possible into this book, so here are a few more, just for fun"), an index, and some websites.
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Re-read (storytime) April 2024

A fantastic collection of frogs! The illustrations by Tim Hopgood are outstanding. I love the beautiful way he paints frogs in a way that shows their personalities.

Martin Jenkins is clever in how he wrote two different books in one. There is large text that can be read in continuity from page to page, and there is smaller text below that can be added to the story if the reader is in the mood for the full details. Both are great narratives.

As I know, the biology and life cycle of a frog is an essential part of an elementary science class. Students are expected to know the frog's journey from tadpole to froglet to frog. Fabulous Frogs would be a helpful addition to a lesson on frogs (and how cool they are).

This book describes different distinguishing features and unusual traits, characteristics, or behaviors of different frog species. This book could be used in a classroom to startle, mystify, and delight students about some of the wild, wonderful features of frogs. Some frogs keep their tadpoles in a special throat pouch, some frogs can jump sixteen feet, some frogs burrow underground to avoid desiccation, some frogs are deadly poisonous and could kill a horse! Frogs are fabulous! The book names many different frog species, with accompanying illustrations. The book also has an index at the end, so students can look up froggy facts by page. Students might also get a laugh out of the fact that the illustrator's last name is Hopgood (since show more frogs hop). show less

A book which inspires students to use there critical thinking and observation skills to determine similarities and differences in various species of Frogs. The illustrations show the physical characteristics and attempt to convey each frog life size. I appreciate the inclusion of the location where the Frogs live, and the big and bright pictures of their habitats.

A great picture book sharing all sorts of facts about frogs. Their sizes, shape, color and other facts. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Great non-fiction book.

Fabulous Frogs is about the different species of frogs and how they are from various parts of the world. Children would like this book because of the vivid illustrations it has of various species of frogs which would be easy for them to comprehend. Teachers could use this book for science to show younger students similarities and differences of frogs. Not only that, but teachers could use the illustrations to demonstrate the life cycle of a frog.