The most recommended frog books

This Is David Small’s very first book that he both wrote and illustrated. I came upon this book in my mid-twenties. I have cherished it ever since. Great artwork with a limited palette due to the archaic 4-color printing process used back then. With this book, it works! Beautiful artwork and humorous wording. Mother Lumps and her baby daughter, Eulalia, are frogs. A mother’s favorite thing happens - Mother Lumps encounters another mother claiming her children are perfect and, therefore, she is perfect as a mother. Grrrrr. Walking along, they encounter a doll left behind at a picnic. They think the doll is a real child. Mother Lumps sees her as abandoned and takes her home. It is so adorable how the story unfolds. I tear up every time. A lovely message is conveyed.

I loved this book as it enabled me to discover some of the mysteries behind famous Australian unsolved crimes, long-held secrets, buried treasure, and strange happenings in both the bush and the city.

Stories include riddles of lost explorers, unexplained phenomena, unsolved crimes, long-held secrets, hidden tunnels, and wartime tales. I was fascinated by these mysteries that are taken from across the nation, and reading about them brought them to life for me.

As a writer of haiku/short-form poetry myself, this book was one that should have been on my radar long ago, but I only read it this year because of a recommendation by Kevin Rose on Tim Ferriss’s podcast. It’s a gem.  

Natalie transports you to Japan with her writing to be a travel partner to her making the journey of a lifetime to pay respect to her favorite Haiku poet, Buson.

The book is beautifully written and full of moments that will make you smile, laugh, sad, and nod with approval. It’s so much more than a book of poetry; it’s a book that utilizes poetry to tackle some of life’s mystery, fragility, and beauty. She highlights the history of haiku, shows why masters such as Basho and Issa are so revered, and provides insight into writing and reading haiku. 

The book is also a wonderful love letter to Japan… show more.

With few words and simple images, we journey with a child as she becomes friends with an elderly neighbor who also loves birds, nature, the changing seasons, and expressing that love through art. But as the change of seasons continues, the girl’s elderly friend becomes fragile in health and strength. Even with an ache in her heart, the child discovers the comfort of remembering special times together and gathering together the drawings they shared. At night, while watching the rising of the full round “frog moon,” the child bundles up close to her mother and “My hands feel warm, and the covers feel soft, and I think of my friend until I fall asleep.”

I was no longer a child when I read this book but I was still enchanted by children’s literature. This book, the first in a series, is a beautiful, touching look at a simple and true friendship, told with a minimal amount of words but packing a maximum of heart.

No rodents here, but there is a frog. I don’t think there’s a person on earth who wouldn’t be touched by this book reflecting the essence of friendship – at least not anyone I would care to know. This is a book for children of all ages.

I found this book engaging and fun to read. It's filled with well-written, informative stories of many women's first dates. Some of the dismal dates remind me of the saying, "You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince."

Sometimes my mouth would drop open in shock while reading about a miserable first date. Other stories had happy endings. Some couples continued dating and married. Others had successful first dates because the people liked each other but decided then, or after a few dates, that they weren't a good fit for a romantic relationship.

First Date Stories makes for a friendly, optimistic companion to women experiencing the ups and downs of dating. It reassures them that they are not alone, worthy, and likely to succeed in reaching their goal if they persevere. The implication is that every first date is successful because of the learning it… show more.

I’ve enjoyed all of Helen Harper’s books that I’ve read (they are all quite humorous) but I especially loved her Lazy Girl’s Guide. Slouch Witch introduces us to a powerful witch who was kicked out of magic school due to being blamed for someone else’s mistake. Now she’s dedicated to being as lazy and shiftless as possible to stay out of trouble and keep herself away from using her magic. Oh, and she has a cat who may or may not know everything that is going on, and communicates in one-word pronouncements that all cat owners can relate to. There’s a cute romance and fun book-by-book adventures to follow.

Cat Kid Comic Club was recommended to me by a 7-year-old I met in a bookstore in Pleasanton, California! He was so excited about it, and once I read it I could see why.

I had never read a Cat Kid book before, and it was hilarious! Not only that, it very cleverly taught kids how to draw perspective, tell a story, and more.

The pictures are simple yet effective and the characters were hilarious. I read this on the plane in one sitting, and hope I didn’t annoy the other passengers because I kept laughing out loud!

I was captivated by these stories from the moment I read the title of the first chapter: “In which Cimorine refuses to be proper and has a conversation with a frog.”

Cimorene is a young woman with no intention of being rescued by a knight in armour. She prefers the company of the dragon for whom she is princess in residence.  

These books re-imagine traditional princess stories through a woman’s eyes. Cimorene and her adventures are light-hearted, but as children (and parents who read to them) encounter wicked wizards, wonderful witches, magical carpets, swords, and castles they will celebrate this princess as the tough-minded lady Patricia Wrede has made her.

Pokko’s parents give her a drum and soon regret it, as you might imagine. (In my own book, Mom says, “don’t even think about a drum kit.”) But sending Pokko outside begins a beautiful symphonic journey that turns Pokko into a leader who makes sure her bandmates don’t eat each other. In the end, even her parents are swept away (literally) by the beautiful music.