A Frog in the Bog

There's a frog on the log

in the middle of the bog.

A small, green frog

on a half-sunk log

in the middle of the bog....

Publishers Weekly

This rhyming picture book about an amphibian with a big appetite has as much bounce as its titular character's spring-action legs. The "small, green frog/ on a half-sunk log/ in the middle of a bog" has, apparently, an expandable belly that can keep up with his big eyes and quick tongue. He rapidly ingests "one tick/ as it creeps up a stick," "two fleas/ as they leap through the reeds," and so on, until his wildly bulging form comes to the attention of an alligator-whom the frog had mistaken for the half-sunk log. After a dramatic splash, all the creatures involved get their just deserts. Wilson's (Bear Snores On) blend of early learning concepts, humor and wordplay make for a jaunty read-aloud. Rankin's (Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats) sassy, intricately composed watercolors feature variegated, saturated backgrounds that often look appropriately bog-spattered and sun-dried (even, sometimes, tie-dyed). Throughout, various insects and the frog himself are more crisply rendered, allowing readers to appreciate their comic expressions. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Karma Wilson is the author of the bestselling BEAR books illustrated by Jane Chapman, ONE DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOG illustrated by Joan Rankin, and many other award-winning picture books. She lives with her family in Fortine, Montana. She can also be found at www.karmawilson.com.

Joan Rankin has illustrated over twenty-five books for children. She received the South African HAUM Dann Retief Prize for children's book illustration in 1986 and the Katrina Harris Award for Children's Book Illustration in 1991. She has illustrated numerous books on the McElderry list, including A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. Ms. Rankin lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and three daughters.