January 15, 2015
In his 24th adventure, Froggy finally celebrates a birthday.Froggy cannot wait. He starts the day off right by singing "Happy birthday to meeeeeeeee!" while bouncing excitedly on his bed. But when he sees his family at the breakfast table, no one seems to remember that it is his special day. So he flops over to all of his friends' houses, but no one is home. Has everyone forgotten Froggy's birthday?! Of course not-there's a surprise party waiting for him at home. The story arc then shifts to Froggy's presents (all providing fodder for Froggy's wild antics and zany sound effects) before finally settling on Froggy's birthday wish-a pinata, given to him by none other than Frogilina. The story plods, er, flops along with no real momentum. Remkiewicz's expressive characters do their best to add energy, and the extra zings and bonks help, but as the subject suggests, Froggy just may be getting old. Predictable fare to be sure, but series fans will likely follow Froggy wherever he goes. (Picture book. 3-6)
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December 1, 2014
PreS-Gr 1-In this addition to the series, Froggy makes a wish on the eve of his birthday. The next morning, his mother and father behave as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Froggy then attempts to visit three of his friends, none of whom is home. Disheartened and believing that everybody has forgotten his big day, the young frog trudges home and walks into a surprise party. He receives a series of havoc-wreaking presents including a skateboard, a scooter, and a pogo stick. Finally, he receives the gift that turns out to be the one he had wished for: a fly-filled pinata. Froggy's standard onomatopoeic morning routine always makes for entertaining reading out loud (he gets dressed with a "zip zoop! zup!" and enters the kitchen with a "flop flop flop"). The forgotten-birthday-turned-surprise-party is a little worn out, but this plot thread takes up only a few pages, allowing for plenty of Froggy shenanigans at the event itself. The situational humor at the party, conveyed in a boldly colored, cartoon style, makes this story: Max's mother's expression when Froggy accidentally attempts to "pin the tail" on her bottom, Froggy and Frogilina about to collide with each other, a pinata full of flies crashing down on Froggy's head. Froggy's many fans will continue to enjoy his mischief.-Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL
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