Frog and Toad agreed: it was a perfect day for a swim. And Frog was kind enough not to look at Toad in his bathing suit, per Toad's request. But when the swimming was over, a crowd had gathered to see Toad in his funny-looking suit, and neither Frog nor Toad could make them leave.

The endearing pair hop along through five enchanting stories, looking for lost buttons, greeting the spring, and waiting for mail. Their genuine care for each other makes Frog and Toad two of the finest amphibious role models around. Young readers will chuckle with Frog as they watch Toad's silly efforts to make up a story. And they will applaud Toad as he finally wakes up after hibernating all winter. The fifth story will warm the hearts of any would-be pen pal--or anyone who has ever known what it's like to have a true-blue (or green) friend.

Arnold Lobel's comfortable brown and green illustrations invite and delight every reader, setting the tone for warm, funny stories about friendship. A Caldecott Honor Book and finalist for the National Book Award for Children's Literature, this installment of Lobel's classic Frog and Toad series is another essential addition to any youngster's shelf. If you need even more of Frog and Toad, don't miss Frog and Toad Together, Frog and Toad All Year, and Days with Frog and Toad. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Midwest Book Review
Frog and Toad are best friends, participating in all elements of life together. This Level 2 reader for grades 1-3 includes two plastic figurines and the Caldecott-winning book, providing kids with an excellent, fun package.


"The give-and-take of a fast friendship between Frog and Toad is gently affectionate."


"[The stories] have freshness, humor, and a beguiling childlike simplicity."

Book Description
The best of friends

From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other -- just as best friends should be.

About the Author
During his distinguished career Arnold Lobel wrote and/or illustrated over 70 books for children. To his illustrating credit, he had a Caldecott Medal book -- Fables (1981) -- and two Caldecott Honor Books-his own Frog and Toad are Friends (1971) and Hildilid's Night by Cheli Duran Ryan (1972). To his writing credit, he had a Newbery Honor Book -- Frog and Toad Together (1973). But to his greatest credit, he had a following of literally millions of young children with whom he shared the warmth and humor of his unpretentious vision of life.Though he was a born storyteller -- he began making up stories extemporaneously to entertain his fellow second-graders in Schenectady, New York, where he grew up in the care of his grandparents. Mr. Lobel called himself a "lucky amateur" in terms of his writing. Viewing himself as a professionally trained illustrator (he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute), he said, "I know how to draw pictures. With writing, I don't really know what I'm doing. It's very intuitive."In addition to the Frog and Toad books, Owl at Home, Mouse Tales, The Book of Pigericks, and many other popular books he created, Mr. Lobel also illustrated other writers' texts that captured his fancy. He viewed this as "something different and challenging." Often his illustrations for those books showed a different aspect of his personality and his artistic expertise, ranging from his meticulous dinosaurs in Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish to his chilling pen-and-ink drawings in Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep by Jack Prelutsky, about which Booklist wrote, "Young readers will be amazed that the gentle Lobel of Frog and Toad fame can be so comfortably diabolic."In 1977 Mr. Lobel and his wife, Anita, a distinguished children's book author and artist in her own right, collaborated on their first book, How the Rooster Saved the Day, chosen by School Library Journal as one of the Best Books of the Year, 1977. They then collaborated on three more books, A Treeful of Pigs, a 1979 ALA Notable Book; On Market Street, a 1982 Caldecott Honor Book; and The Rose in My Garden, a 1984 Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book.Arnold Lobel died in 1987.

ANNOTATION

Five tales recounting the adventures of two best friends - Frog and Toad.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In 1957, Harper published its first I Can Read title, Little Bear, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Large type, simple vocabulary, chapter-like divisions, and decorative pictures made Little Bear perfect for emerging readers￯﾿ﾽthey could read the story comfortably and not feel overwhelmed by the text. Following suit came such classics as Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia series, Lillian Hoban's books about Arthur the monkey, and Syd Hoff's popular Danny and the Dinosaur. Many books in this series are special in the depth of emotion evoked - Little Bear, the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, and Daniel￯﾿ﾽs Duck by Clyde Bulla, to name a few - and all are enjoyed by children of all ages. Grade 1 - Grade 3.

SYNOPSIS