A Frog's Life

by Irene Kelly, Margherita Borin (Illustrator)

Overview

A stunningly illustrated introduction to our planet's many frog species!

Frogs, frogs, and more frogs! This exciting survey of the world's frog species will introduce children to varieties as diverse as the golden poison frog (the planet's most toxic animal), the Amau frog (so tiny it's no bigger than a housefly), and the Chinese gliding frog (which can "fly" up to 17 feet)!

Their different hunting techniques, preferred foods, body types, and methods of defense are covered, as are the universal basics of the frog life cycle. Colorful, scientifically accurate illustration is paired with a distinguished nonfiction writer's plain, energetic text in this excellent introduction to the diversity and fundamentals of frogs. Back matter includes information on frog disappearances and conservation efforts.

A Cybils Awards Finalist in the Elementary Nonfiction category!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823447404
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	12/08/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	845,185
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Irene Kelly writes nonfiction for children. Her books have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council and have also been named to the John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers.

Margherita Borin is an Italian artist specializing in lifelike wildlife illustration. Margherita has illustrated several books for young children. She lives in Italy.

Editorial Reviews

* "Kelly, winner of numerous awards for her nature books for children, now introduces the amazing activities that encompass the life of a frog. . . . Borin has perfectly captured the lives of frogs and their various habitats by creating attractive watercolor illustrations in a design that is reminiscent of an artist’s sketchbook. The detailed drawings will encourage students to look closely as they discover different patterns and textures. Each picture shows a particular species, which Kelly carefully names even as she describes common behaviors. Also included is current information on frog disappearances and conservation efforts to save endangered ones. The simple text and detailed illustrations make this is a fun and informative tour through the exciting amphibian world. Perfect for young researchers and a welcome addition to all libraries."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Full of frog facts, this picture book provides an inviting introduction to the life cycle, behaviors, and characteristics of frogs. Intricate, colorful illustrations of many species are featured here, accompanied by straightforward, informative text that explains how frogs breathe, shed, hunt, eat, jump, hide, reproduce, develop, and survive in their habitats. . . . A solid addition to the nature shelf."—Kirkus Reviews

"Borin’s inviting artwork, rendered in watercolor, marker pen, and pencil, features bright colors and depicts the textures and shadings on various species, resulting in an impressionistic feel. . . . an attractive addition to the amphibian shelf."—Booklist

From the Publisher

05/21/2018
Nature writer Kelly (Even an Octopus Needs a Home) provides a warm and vividly detailed examination of frogs. Airy spreads offer facts about frog species, behaviors, diets, common predators, habitats, and life cycles—from fertilized egg, through life as a tadpole, to full-grown frog. Italian artist Borin renders her subjects in graceful watercolors, adding naturalistic detail through pen and pencil outlines and accents; the frogs’ brilliant array of skin colors are represented in mosaiclike patterns. A cutaway image shows a frog’s internal organs, while another graphic depicts a frog in the process of shedding its skin: “the frog stretches, turns, and ‘hiccups’ to loosen its old skin and pulls it over its head like a sweater,” Kelly writes. A section on ecological threats facing frogs concludes with a call for readers to protect the amphibians in their own local habitats. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

★ 05/01/2018
K-Gr 3—Kelly, winner of numerous awards for her nature books for children, now introduces the amazing activities that encompass the life of a frog. This picture book uses simple, informative text and detailed illustrations to introduce the many varieties of frog species and their life cycles. ("Baby frogs called tadpoles…emerge with gills to help them breathe in water and tails to help them swim.") This incredible metamorphosis is illustrated in detail as a tadpole loses its fishy tail and gills and becomes a frog. Kelly peppers the text with unusual facts and bits of scientific trivia ("the golden poison frog is only as big as a paper clip, but the toxin it carries can kill 20,000 mice or 10 people"). Borin has perfectly captured the lives of frogs and their various habitats by creating attractive watercolor illustrations in a design that is reminiscent of an artist's sketchbook. The detailed drawings will encourage students to look closely as they discover different patterns and textures. Each picture shows a particular species, which Kelly carefully names even as she describes common behaviors. Also included is current information on frog disappearances and conservation efforts to save endangered ones. The simple text and detailed illustrations make this is a fun and informative tour through the exciting amphibian world. VERDICT Perfect for young researchers and a welcome addition to all libraries.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY

School Library Journal

2018-03-04
Welcome to the wide world of frogs!Full of frog facts, this picture book provides an inviting introduction to the life cycle, behaviors, and characteristics of frogs. Intricate, colorful illustrations of many species are featured here, accompanied by straightforward, informative text that explains how frogs breathe, shed, hunt, eat, jump, hide, reproduce, develop, and survive in their habitats. The text feels a smidge disorganized: Most spreads focus on a particular topic though only some feature headings; certain facts seem arbitrarily highlighted; and an index is included but a table of contents is not. Still, interested readers will be drawn in by the spot-on selection of facts, as in the description of how a frog sheds its skin: "The frog stretches, turns, and ‘hiccups' to loosen its old skin and pulls it over its head like a sweater. There is a new skin ready under the old one. The old skin is full of water and nutrients…so the frog eats it!" (Readers will wish the delicately drawn accompanying illustrations showed the frog wrestling with its skin rather than standing still in three different views during the process.) Two pages of fairly dense concluding text provide information on how frogs are affected by environmental issues; a closing list of bullet points includes concrete actions kids can take to help. A solid addition to the nature shelf. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews