August 1, 2018
Always displaying a penchant for the dramatic, Petty and Boldt's young amphibian is back for a fourth installment of childhood angst--bedtime.The tiny frog is so excited for winter he can't contain himself. He is going to have a blast throwing snowballs, drinking hot cocoa, and cozying up in warm clothing. But his friend, a wise owl, breaks some bad news: "Frogs hibernate." The young frog's flippant response? "I don't know what that means, but I don't like it." Owl explains, but the frog doesn't want to hear it. He has to burrow in the mud all winter, while his friends have endless fun? The embodiment of pure despair, the young tot opens his mouth and eyes wide with terror, his horrified expression taking up an entire spread. Luckily, a compromise is reached--one that doesn't bode well for his nonhibernating friends. Silliness abounds, with a nod toward the nature of coldbloodedness, as Boldt variously shows a crispy, smoldering frog near the winter fire and an ice-block frog, frozen in place. Young readers may not quite make the leap from a desolate frog missing winter to a cranky child not wanting to sleep, but it's a fun read-aloud that will at least make bedtime more enjoyable. (Picture book. 3-6)
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January 1, 2019
In his fourth outing (following There's Nothing to Do!), Petty's high-anxiety frog faces a hard truth: he may want to frolic in the snow like his animal friends this winter, but because he's a frog, he must hibernate (i.e., be himself). As always, the frog's tale is told through dialogue balloons--the perfect conveyance for his comical angst, amplified by his mile-wide mouth.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)