Nonfiction

Title: Frogs

Written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons
Grade:  Pre-K through 2
Nonfiction Informational

Have you ever had a favorite animal? Has that animal ever been an amphibian that is green with four legs and webbed feet? Well if you answered yes to those questions then Frogs by Gail Gibbons may be the perfect book for you. In this book Gail takes us into the world of being a frog and their stages of life.

This book is an interesting informational book about the life of a frog. Gail Gibbons starts out saying that frog’s first start out as floating clumps of eggs at the top of a water source and that being slippery is their only source of protection. In the middle of the eggs there is a dark circle. Overtime that circle starts to develop into what will be a frog. They are not born as frogs right away instead they are born as tadpoles. The tadpoles are born with a head, tail, and a body. They also have gills for breathing and they eat algae. As time goes on, the tadpoles start to lose their gills, and starting developing into frogs. They then start to grow their back legs, looking more like a frog. After most of their body parts start growing in, they start gaining their green frog color. Once the tadpoles become frogs, they leave the water to live the life of a frog on land. The frog sticks out its tongue and pulls its food back into its mouth. Frogs also hibernate when it becomes winter. They burrow into the ground and sleep until in it spring time. Frogs are interesting creatures because they are born tadpoles and then turn into the life they are meant to live, being a frog.

Gail Gibbons does an outstanding job by writing words into her pictures. She also explains in text at the bottom of the page what words that kids might not know mean. She labels the parts of the frog, like its ears, eye, skin, webbed feet, and many more. Towards the end of the book, Gibbons also points of the difference between a frog and a toad. Gibbons pictures are very colorful and detailed. She takes up almost the whole page with a picture, but she does save room for the text at the bottom. On one page she even shows that there are many kinds of frogs that come in all different color, shape, and size. At the end of the book, Gibbons takes the time out to tell us how long frogs have been around. It is states that some frogs have different types and sizes of webbed feet. One of the last points Gibbons makes is that some species of frogs are going extinct and they don’t know why.

Frogs by Gail Gibbons is a fun book to be introduced into a classroom when it is come time to learning a lesson in science. In the spring time, the classroom can visit a frog pond to see what they look like, how they move, and how they adapt with their environment. Reading Frogs is a good way to introduce a science lesson because they get to learn the life cycle and learn exciting facts.

Frogs by Gail Gibbons would be best introduced to grades PreK through 2. The MA Curriculum ELA Frameworks: students will understand key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas.