Hop into Reading

What did the frog say as she looked through the books at the library?

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Happy Twosday from me to you! Today I would like to share two frog books. Both are filled with facts about some of the 5,000 types of frogs around the world.

So You Want to Be a Frog

Written by Jane Porter Illustrated by Neil Clark

Candlewick Press

Want to be a member of the frog club? Follow the 10 Flog Club Rules

1. Start small and wriggle well
2. Jump far, jump often
3. Choose your colors carefully
4. Make friends around the world
5. Have a froggy hero
6. Connect to your ancient ancestors
7. Choose flies for flavor
8. Make some noise
9. Know how to be more frog
10. Keep cool in the pool

Each rule is illustrated with additional facts and stats. I think this would be a great book for aspiring scientists. Did you know when frogs blink they are actually using their eyeballs to help push the food down their throats? Did you also know a group of frogs is an army or knot? These facts are wild.

Science Comics Frogs: Awesome Amphibians

by Liz Prince

First Second Publishing

A young city girl moves to the country and finds that the pond in her backyard is a home to many amphibians. She gets a crash course on frogs around the world in a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. I love the Science Graphic Novel Series because they take complex facts and make them accessible for readers of all ages. Graphic novels are hugely popular with kids of all ages and these one will be very popular with Middle Grade readers. My youngest, who is seven found the book a bit difficult but was able to skim through and find pieces to enjoy.

Did you know there is a frog called a Surinam Toad that incubates its young on its back? This flat frog waits 24 hours for her partner to insert all the fertilized eggs into her back before growing another layer of skin over the top. The skin protects the eggs that hatch into tadpoles and then emerge from the mother’s back as tiny froglets. Disgusting and fascinating all at the same time.

Did you also know that frogs that burrow have “a special claw like spade on their hind feet made of keratin?”

Frogs are fascinating. I hope you enjoy this hop into amazing factual fiction.