The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog

K-Gr 2—Camille REALLY loves math. Some days she speaks only in numbers (23 is yes, and 17 is no), and she sings the times tables when she is hungry. Her best friend, while not so math obsessed, is equally unique and wears an animal costume all day at school. When Camille notices that he is being plagued by a rambunctious puppy, because he is currently donning a cat costume, she persuades him to choose another animal. After some false starts with a shark and a giraffe, they hit upon the frog as the perfect costume. Of course, frogs are not solitary creatures, so Camille must dress as one, too. With all the measuring and sewing, a fight ensues, but all is quickly resolved for a happy ending. Originally published in Australia, this is award-winning illustrator deGennaro's first book that she also penned. Set against a soothing beige backdrop, the illustrations are rendered in collage, Conte crayon, and pencil and ink. They are detailed yet playful and invite readers to linger over each page. Marvelous images of numbers and graphs are peppered throughout, and the sketches of frogs beg to be closely examined.