A Froggy Fable by John Lechner

32 p., Candlewick, 2005. Change may be difficult for many of us, and it's all the more so for people (or frogs) who thrive on stability. The frog in this story likes his life at the pond partly because everything is always the same. He's annoyed when otters move in and begin to splash in the pond, when blue jays move in and squawk, and when a tree falls into the pond. But what really disrupts his existence is being carried off in a jar by a boy. The boy takes the frog away on his bike, but when he hits a rock, the frog falls off. He is utterly lost. There's nothing he can do but wander, and he does this for weeks, in spite of dangers and sees many wonders on his journey. Finally he finds his own pond again - and he's actually happy to see the otters, the blue jays, and the tree. He makes himself a new home that's even better than his old one. And because he's learned that he can handle anything, he doesn't mind change so much any more. The deceptively simple watercolor and ink illustrations show the frog's emotions unmistakably. Children who struggle with change and newness can use the frog's story to find hope that they, too, can handle anything that comes their way. Ages 3-8

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