"Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury" by Arnold Lobel. A Review

Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury: 4 Complete Stories in 1 Volume!Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury: 4 Complete Stories in 1 Volume! by Arnold Lobel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who would have thought? Here we are in the middle of a pandemic and quarantine, with all of the "shelter-in-place" directives, and I decide to read children's stories via live video on Facebook for the kids in my church, and my grandchildren in another state. I land on "Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury," written in 1976, to launch this endeavor. Lo-and-behold, it's a hit! Kids are watching me read the stories before bedtime, parents are grateful for the relief after an exhausting day working from home, etc., and even adults are tuning in. The stories are readable, and quite fun, and the illustrations (drawn by the author) are just right.

These are tales of two friends who enjoy sharing various aspects of life together as friends. Each story stands alone on its own. They relate the friendship of two amphibians with personalities that complement each other. Frog, the affable adventurer; and Toad, the bumbling, histrionic, goodhearted negativist. Their exploits are usually harmless, and bring a happy chortle from older and younger alike. Whatever was happening in the author's own time of "self-discovery," it would take a squinty, chock-eyed misreading to get out of these yarns anything other than good, simple pleasurable reading. I happily recommend the book.


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