A child (Sammy, who could be male or female) and their dog (Chocolate) go out to a nearby marsh one night to try to catch a frog. They can hear the frogs everywhere, but no matter how hard they look, the pair can't find any frogs. Giving up, they plop down in the grass, not thinking, not doing, just being, and suddenly, frogs! Frogs are jumping around everywhere, speaking in a variety of calls and too fast for the pair to catch one. Finally, their mother calls them home, and Sammy dreams of being a frog that night. A simple story, but told in a magical way that reminds the reader of how marvelous nature is when you take time to enjoy it. The poetic prose flows nicely, and the illustrations are colorful and full of action. I especially appreciated that Sammy was not demonstrably male or female, but could be either one, allowing any child to see themselves in the story. A fun read!

#Frogness #NetGalley

When Sammy and her dog, Chocolate, hear the frogs croaking and peeping the know it is time to go on a frog hunt. But no matter where they search, they cannot find any. Until - they become very still. And suddenly, they are surrounded by frogs. They don't catch any but they do have fun exploring until mom welcomes them back home.
This is a fun, whimsical book about searching for something in nature. There is even an informational note about frogs at the end of the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-galley of this book!

A child goes looking for frogs. That's the story. It is simple, but lovely. There are many action words kids will get a kick out of saying and the illustrations are a soft touch that gives this book a calming presence.

First off, I love the illustrations. They are positively charming. But the text...does not work for me. Parts of feel melodic, others feel choppy, others feel confusing. It just left me confused. This book was okay, but is not, by any means, my favorite frog book out there.

Frogness is full of onomatopoeia and could be a fun story to read along with a good storytelling parent or teacher. The illustrations are beautiful, but the story is nothing new or overly exciting. It's just a pretty book with a lot of sound words.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh dear. This book was disappointing.

But first, the positive: The illustrations are fabulous, and I love seeing a young girl with glasses rolling around in the mud! I liked seeing pictures of frogs in action and their habitats.

My real problem with this book was the writing--it can't seem to decide if it's trying to be poetry or prose. Some parts have rhyming text and good rhythm, and other parts are totally disjointed and awkward to read. I like the interactivity of the various frog sounds (though they interrupted the flow of the book, though maybe that was intentional?), and the author's note at the end was good. But I found myself stumbling over odd lines of text rather than getting lost in the story. Also, the term "frogness" was never explained. This book needed to either be a lyrical, dreamy ode to frogs or a story about frog-catching. In trying to be both, it accomplished neither.

Lovely illustrations, but not a book I'll be using for library programming.

This charmingly illustrated story of a child and a dog enjoying unsupervised time searching for frogs in a marsh will delight readers and supplement STEAM learning. The gender-neutral narrator tells the story with exuberant anticipation and language that maintains a natural casualness while instilling a strong sense of poetry. The layout is exceptional, ensuring readability by placing words in the lighter areas of the predominantly blue, green and buff *watercolor and ink renditions. Descriptive sounds are accentuated throughout the text in a bold, dynamic font, reinforcing the impetus to read this story aloud. Many pages have no text at all, and move the story along visually, inviting close attention to the many details and subtle character expressions. The pace perfectly enhances the unhurried adventure described. Lovely.

*I'm not an art expert. Please excuse me if I've mistaken the medium.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
A young girl and her dog set off on an adventure to find and play with the frogs in the swamp near her home. They head out in early evening and after searching and then resting, the frogs find them. The pure joy of this time is captured in the text and the lovely illustrations. Nelson captures the fun involved in carefree childhood play. Readers will enjoy studying the detail rich illustrations to see all of the animals and plants that are included.
Great read aloud for families.

Are you looking for a children's picture book that is STEM related and full of nature? Frogness by Sarah Nelson feels like the perfect book if you have this in mind!

This book about frogs, nature and a child's imagination is a must read! Honestly, this makes me so nostalgic for the science themed books from my childhood (in picture book form, of course). This book is about exploration and innovation all while looking for frogs. A creative, young girl sets on her journey with her dog to go find frogs. The writing is wonderful and felt like it had the perfect story telling voice (because, like a total nerd I read some of it out loud).

The illustrations are also beautiful and colourful. It all felt so fitting for the story. And finally, the non-fiction section at the end to do a little teaching! I love educational moments in my picture books!

I love this book and highly recommend it. It is super fun and a great way to introduce nature and STEM at an early age (in a super fun way!)

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This is a fun book about a young girl, Sammy, and her dog, Chocolate, are going on a frog hunt. They head out into the marsh behind the house when it begins to get dark. They can hear frogs everywhere—croaking, chirping, clucking, burping—but they can't find any. When they finally lay down on the ground and are quiet, the frogs come out, and hop all over them. The vocabulary in this book was great, the sounds, the action sounds (Plink! Plop! Splatter! Splash!) all help to build a child's word choice. The illustrations were wonderful. The expressions, the actions and the backgrounds were all detailed and added to the story. The text was written in a free verse prose that was easy to read aloud. I like how the author used the story to teach about nature, as well as patience and being calm in order to see the many things in the world. The back page gives some information about frogs that an older child could use as a jumping off point for further investigation. Another book that I recommend for family libraries, bedtime books, and classrooms.

I sat down at my laptop to read and review an ARC while my daughter was showering. My intention was to save the post for another day but I can’t wait to tell you about “Frogness” by Sarah Nelson! This beautifully illustrated book checks all of my favorite boxes; engaging pictures, opportunities to make goofy animal sounds while reading aloud, a rhythmic narrative, and organic opportunities to pause for reflection. At initial glance, one might simply view this book as a cute story of a child looking outside for frogs. The children’s therapist in me, reread the story out loud and heard the natural presentation of grounding principles, body awareness prompts, and attention to breath and posture. As I was reading the words, my youngest child wandered into the room and, without being prompted, began to act out the actions as the words were presented. I matched her interest by allowing my voice volume and tone to follow the book’s font changes and phrasing. At times this book reminded me, both in illustration style and rhythm of "Going on a Bear Hunt." Like Bear Hunt, Frogness lends itself well to repetition and physical actions but is more connected to the child's physical experience.

While many books focused on teaching mindfulness to children focus on mindfulness skills first, Frogness places the natural curiosity and playfulness of childhood centrally and incorporates skills around. While Frogness is not due to be published until midApril, I couldn’t help myself but post a preview today! I will absolutely repost a reminder of this new favorite on the publication date, which coincidentally happens to be my birthday!?

Thank you to Netgalley, Owlkids Publishing, and Sarah Nelson for the opportunity to provide an honest review and the privilege of previewing Frogness! I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my shelf!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of this book is so cute.
The illustrations are fantastic.
My kids and I really enjoyed reading this book together.

I'd definitely read more books by this author.

This is a great book for tomboys! Not that boys won’t enjoy this story, but it’s better for them to focus on that girls have all sorts of interests. It is engaging and entertaining.
Frogs... who doesn’t like frogs? Women wear them as jewelry or on t-shirts. And any mom reading this book will certainly identify one way or another about how cool frogs can be. Ribbit!
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Dusk approaches, the moon is rising, and the frog chorus is beginning--a perfect invitation for a young child to head out to the swamp and try to catch frogs. Although surrounded by the sounds of the frogs, the child and their canine companion can barely glimpse the creatures, let alone get close enough to grab one. It's not until they are able to stop to really listen, to be still and become part of the environment--to feel the *frogness* of the moment--that they are able to start seeing (and chasing!) the frogs. With text that both leaps off the page and evokes quiet contemplation, the story is a satisfying journey from beginning to end.
The exuberant illustrations pair well with the text, transitioning seamlessly between quiet realism, dreamy imagination, and boisterous adventure to create a lovely picture book that will be treasured by outdoor enthusiasts and armchair adventurers alike.

Thank you Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the advance digital reading copy of this book.

This was a cute story about Sammy and her desire to ctach a frog. This book included some great facts about frogs and some fantastic illustrations. This book will encourage kids to use their imaginations.

Frogness sings with the beauty of nature. It's a picture book full of everything a child loves -- a story told in lively images, words that slip and slide, mud and muck and frogs and even a cute dog. This book will kindle a child's innate interest in the natural world and fan a love for the words we can use to describe it. Moms and Dads won't grow tired of the lyrical prose and when a child inevitably asks to 'read it again!' they will happily comply!

A little girl and her dog enjoy a lazy summer day splashing through the marsh looking for frogs. The illustrations are amazing and the words include lot of onomatopoeia. This would make a great group read aloud. Just wonderful! Highly recommended!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from OwlBooks through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Nelson has created a magical dream of “frogs and stars and pieces of moon” and a muddy child and happy dog. Sammy and Chocolate go hunting for frogs in the swamp behind the house. At first they can’t find them although the air is full of the sound, but when they stop searching and stay quiet, they are surrounded by “frogness.” Nelson’s poetic language is so full of exuberant life that I want to giggle with delight. Eugenie Fernandes’s illustrations are vibrant with color and movement. I like that Sammy could be either a boy or a girl and wears glasses. How many kids’ books have main characters with whom kids wearing glasses can identify? A fun read aloud with lots of sound effects to be enjoyed over and over. The fascinating non-fiction page at the end on different kinds of frogs will no doubt send kids to the Internet to find out more.

This book captures the wonder of finding a connection with nature. This time the connection is through frogs- finally, LOTS of frogs! The cadence and and storyline are upbeat and joyful, following the arc of discovery. My two boys LOVED this book, each getting slightly different things out of- another sign of a very well written book!

This delightful story takes you on the playful and poetic adventure of boy’s search for frogs. He and his dog go frolicking along, hoping to discover even just one frog. Finally, the hunt yields many of the creatures leaping, hopping, singing, croaking in a musical, lyrical chorus. The story ends with a satisfying dream about swimming through the sky with the frogs, the stars and the moon. The backmatter at the end of the book could be useful for a science class, or a parent hoping to teach a child about the biology of frogs.