''Frog and Toad All Year'' is an American picture book written and illustrated by

Arnold Lobel Arnold Stark Lobel (May 22, 1933 – December 4, 1987) was an American author of children's books, including the '' Frog and Toad'' series and '' Mouse Soup''. He wrote and illustrated these picture books as well as ''Fables'', a 1981 Caldecott M ...

, published by Harper & Row in 1976. It is the third book in the

Frog and Toad ''Frog and Toad'' is a series of easy-reader children's books, written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Each book contains five simple, often humorous, sometimes poignant, short stories chronicling the exploits of an anthropomorphic frog and toad ...

series, whose four books completed by Lobel each comprises five easy-to-read short stories.

Characters

The two friends, Frog and Toad, are portrayed by the author with human-like personalities and amphibian appearance. The situations in which they find themselves are a cross between the human and animal worlds. Along with Lobel's other Frog and Toad books, ''Frog and Toad All Year'' is valued by experts in children's literature for its portrayal of the value of friendship.

Summary

Friends Frog and Toad, who have quite different personalities, have adventures through the seasons, including downhill sledding, searching for Spring, buying ice cream, raking leaves, and celebrating Christmas.

Adaptations

The book has been adapted as a musical, written by Willie and Robert Reale and entitled ''A Year with Frog and Toad'', opened on Broadway, and was also performed by the Second Story Repertory, by Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, and by the Chicago Children's Theatre, among others. The stories have also been produced as an audio book.

Reception

''Frog and Toad All Year'' won a Christopher Award in 1977. It is listed in the ''New York Times'' Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children. ''Kirkus Reviews'' wrote, "We miss some of the resonant psychological heft of this pair's previous experiences, but Frog and Toad can still transform the most ordinary seasonal activities into celebrations."

References

External links

* {{isfdb name, 176002, Arnold Lobel 1976 children's books American picture books Books about frogs Children's books about friendship Picture books by Arnold Lobel Harper & Row books