The little boy creates a monster to protect his treasure from the thieves. The monster shows the little boy what to do his treasure, and informs them that they are remarkable seeds. He teaches patience and forgiveness to the little boy and thieves and how wonderful the treasure actually is. I love how the illustrations stayed dark and dreary until the flowers begin to bloom and the pages filled with color. ( )

Once upon a time, in a dull, gray endless place called Cementland, there lived a very special boy who wished to find a treasure. After much searching among piles of greasy toaster ovens and wet smelly socks, he spies a box filled with specks and a wrinkled note that says, "Put these wondrous riches in the earth and enjoy." Horrified to learn that thieves are after his treasure, the boy scrounges the junkyard and conjures a creature to stand guard - a scarecrowlike gardener with crooked bony arms, a giant belly, a jaunty crown, and preternatural wisdom: Frog Belly Rat Bone, king and protector of the specks.With subtle, delicate tones, fantastical figures, and bursts of glowing color, the surreal artwork and hand-lettered text of Tim Ering’s picture book debut exude all the whimsy of an inspired imagination - and the wonders of a natural world that awaits discovery, even in Cementland.

50 months - O loves this story and the illustrations. We both love saying "Frog Belly Rat Bone"... Just silly. ( )

Frog Belly Rat Bone is the story of a little boy who finds a hidden treasure and builds a monster to protect it. The boy learns from his monster that it takes patience to discover the true value of the treasure. The colors of the story remain dark and grey until the flowers bloom and everybody is friends, just to show the beauty of the virtues of patience and forgiveness. ( )

Besides the extraordinary art, "The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone" reminded me of the themes of Dr. Seuss', "The Lorax." A good book to read to students and teach them about the importance and good that tress and other living organisms bring to our environment. ( )