Fabulous Frogs
(Read and Wonder)

Jenkins (The History of Money) presents a light, off-handed overview of species of frogs from around the world, accompanied by vivid mixed-media illustrations from Hopgood (Hooray for Hoppy!). The main text explores the outstanding features of roughly a dozen frogs ("This one is called a flying frog, although it can't really fly"), while supplemental sentences give additional details about the amphibians. Hopgood's compositions vary in their use of space, scale, and style: thumbnail-size frogs from Papua New Guinea, the smallest known to exist, dot one white spread (and go unnamed, perhaps because Paedophryne amauensis is a mouthful), while Australia's striped rocket frog leaps from one spread to the next, mid-introduction. Ages 5-8. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 2--Jenkins and Hopgood team up to share their zeal for frogs in this attractively packaged showcase of different species. Western Africa's goliath frog, Australia's striped rocket frog, and Southeast Asia's flying frog are among the animals represented in this worthy informational picture book. A concise introduction on behavior and development precedes the title page. Each page features large, simple, though at times repetitive, narrative, as well as text rendered in a smaller font that goes into slightly more detail and eye-popping mixed-media artwork. Hopgood's visuals are populated with active frogs. Backgrounds are blue, green, orange, and yellow; a few illustrations include environmental details such as branches and leaves. Clusters of eggs and swimming tadpoles fill the endpapers and add to the appeal. Those looking for more information on these animals can turn to Jim Arnosky's All About Frogs (Scholastic, 2002), Peter Murray's Frogs (Child's World, 2007), or Seymour Simon's Frogs (HarperCollins, 2015), which feature color photos and are aimed at slightly older students. VERDICT A strong choice for group storytimes or science lessons, this volume will spark children's interest.--Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH