I'm a Frog!

PreS-Gr 1—Elephant and Piggie continue to amuse in this early reader. Piggie pretends to be a ribbiting, jumping frog, and children will catch on quickly and delight in "explaining" to Elephant that his friend is not actually a frog. The story is especially entertaining when Piggie tries to convince Elephant that he, too, can play—their banter escalates to a spread of tangled "No, I can't!/Yes, you can!" speech bubbles. True to Willems's style, a white background, minimal color, and charcoal outlines draw focus to the always-changing facial expressions of Elephant and Piggie. With heavy black dashes to signify motion, Piggie practically jumps off the page. The story ends with a playful twist, in which Elephant finally comprehends and pretends to be a cow. I'm a Frog will join the ranks of other well-loved Elephant and Piggie books.—Nora Clancy, Teachers College Community School, New York City