Frog and Fly

A frog with a sticky--and sharp--tongue, and a friendly fly are a dynamic comedic team in six brief, silly episodes perfect for beginning readers. Tricky Frog usually gets the upper hand, ending up with a tasty fly snack in most of the pair's exchanges. "Nice to eet you?" Frog says to Fly in the first story. "No. Nice to meet you," corrects Fly, before Frog gets the last laugh in the final panels. "SLURP! No. Nice to eat you!" Each vignette turns on a simple joke, as Mack (Hush Little Polar Bear) plays with language, opposites, and sound effects to land his punch lines; in one story, after Dog and Frog send Fly away with a "Yuck! Shoo, Fly!" Frog welcomes him with a "Yum! Good morning, Fly!" Young readers will enjoy watching the jokes play out in Mack's crisp comic-book panels, which are peppered with clearly lettered dialogue and thought bubbles. This expressive and personable duo provides a spot-on brand of joke book-style humor that children will find plenty entertaining. Ages 3-6. Agent: Ruben Pfeffer, East/West Literary Agency. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 2--Frog always seems to get the better of Fly in these scenarios. But never fear, Fly outwits him in the end. Frog manages to set Fly up for a punch line that involves Frog "slurping" him up in five funny ways. In the last scene, though, Fly manages to get Frog to stick his tongue on a "frog-slurping" bear and sees him slurped up in the end. Each of the short stories has minimal text, making this book suitable for beginning readers, but the humorous antics of Frog and Fly will be enjoyed by preschoolers as well. Bright, cartoonlike illustrations fill the pages, some of which have two panels clearly delineated by white frames, adding to the cartoon feel. This would be a fun reader's theater for storytime or classroom use.--Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN