Frog Song

Frog Song, written by Brenda Z. Guiberson and illustrated by Gennady Spirin is gorgeous.  Lyrically written, featuring an abundance of onomatopoeia for the reader, Frog Song offers opportunity for teachers to incorporate engaging nonfiction with beautiful figurative language.  Readers will be fascinated with some of the frog behavior surrounding hatching their young.  The Darwin's Frog was also featured in "My First Day" and I was intrigued to learn more about the frogs hopping out of papa's mouth which had protected the tadpoles in a sac in his throat.  Mission accomplished!  I now know a little more than I did before.  Like "My First Day," Frog Song includes information about the habitat, size, and a quick fact about each featured frog (11 in total) in the section titled "Frogs of the World."  The section titled "Frogs in Trouble" helps the reader to draw concrete personal connections between the loss of habitat of these frogs and the impacts on human life as well as the impact humans have on the frog's habitat.  A bibliography and online resources help readers to learn more.  

Spirin's illustrations capture the details of these beautiful creatures and their surroundings.  At first glance, the cover looks photographic as Spirin captures the beauty of a Strawberry Poison Dart Frog and the seeming reflection off its slick skin.  Gorgeous.

Frog Song

ISBN: 978-0-8050-9254-7

Published 2013 by Henry Holt and Company

I borrowed this copy from my public library to read and review.