LEAP, FROG, LEAP!
by Douglas Florian ; illustrated by Barbara Bakos
An exploration of animal actions in rhyme.
Veteran Florian’s catchy verse makes this one bounce along: “Leap, frog, leap! / Creep, caterpillar, creep!” The skillful illustrations are playful and filled with amusing details. A blissful pink bunny bounds along (“Race, rabbit, race!”), oblivious to the fierce-eyed, sharp-clawed cat that pursues him (“Chase, cheetah, chase!”). The trekking turtle sports a backpack, a straw hat, and a supremely satisfied smile as it ambles along. In the final image, a pink-skinned child slumbers in a hammock (“Sleep, child, sleep!”) with all of the animals that have appeared so far clustered around protectively. Companion title Once I Was a Pollywog introduces the juvenile and adult names of animals in rhyme: “Once I was a cub… / but now I am a bear. // Once I was a leveret… / but now I am a hare.” Simple, clever verse and enchanting illustrations make both of these selections sure bets for toddlers and preschoolers.
Librarians, teachers, and caregivers will want this and its companion in their board-book collections.
(Board book. 2-5)