Frog Girl

by Owen Paul Lewis

Frogs have been stolen, an earthquake rumbles, a village is in peril. To restore calm to her land, a girl must delve beneath the surface of a lake, deep into a spirit world. What she finds will thrill readers and introduce them to a classic hero's journey.

Genres: Picture Books, Native American, Childrens, Indigenous, Mythology, Cultural, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my students because I am trying to teach them about cultures that are different from their own.

"Frogs have been stolen, an earthquake rumbles, a village is in peril. To restore calm to her land, a girl must delve beneath the surface of a lake, deep into a spirit world. What she finds will thrill readers and introduce them to a classic hero's journey."

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The story in Frog Girl was a little weird/confusing/disjointed. I had to explain to the children what I thought this story was trying to convey, because it was confusing. A few times my niece remarked, "I don't get it." My nephew wasn't so impressed with the story, either, but boy, those illustrations were just fabulous! At one point he looked at the pictures and breathlessly remarked, "Oh, my gosh!!" They were clearly evocative of Pacific Northwest Native American cultures, and many of the pictures accurately reflect some of the Pacific Northwest Native American artifacts that I've seen in The Burke Museum.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 2 out of 5]

1/13/2019 ~
What I appreciated: The discussion of environmental issues (dying frogs) and over hunting, leading to unbalanced ecosystems.
What concerned me:
That this is a "constructed" tale in which the author attempts to use "familiar motifs" to create a story like those of the Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

The last two pages of the book describe Joseph Campbell's Adventure of the Hero and the author's attempt to incorporate aspects of the Hero's Quest as represented "In the rich oral traditions and bold graphic art of the Haida, Tlingit, and other Native Peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America" (p. 30). Though the story is somewhat satisfying, I'd rather read actual retellings of Tlingit tales.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story based off of Coastal Native American's folktales.I loved the pictures and unique story. It has beautiful artwork and the story is told very creatively. It has some abstract concepts and some pretty difficult metaphors in it so it would probably be the most beneficial for upper elementary. It could spark some great discussion! This book would be pefect to use during a Coastal Native American unit.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully illustrated children’s picture book about a young girl’s journey to understand and protect the frogs in her village which is set in the Northwest Coast of North America. Her journey leads her to an under world village where frogs live just as humans do. This story teaches how frogs are our brothers and sisters and that they should be respected. It also teaches about how Volcano Woman causes eruptions because of her sadness over the mistreatment of her children, the frogs. It is a fantasy book because there are many events that would not happen in real life that have magical or supernatural characteristics, for example, the lake opening like a door into the human-like village where the frogs live as humans. This book is somewhat confusing on the first read, but it makes more sense on the second or third read. In my school district, third graders are introduced to the local Native American culture of the Pacific Northwest, and especially the Lummi Nation which is in the attendance area of my district. This book would be an excellent addition to that curriculum. Students could write a summary of the book, and they could draw or color a frog in the native art style. I especially like this book because there are usually frogs in my garden in the spring, but since the neighborhood behind me as been developed, I have noticed that the number of frogs in my yard has decreased- I don't see them as much as I used to. This book shares the native attitude towards environmental protection and the connection that humans should have with nature.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the extra information in the back.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I didn't like this story as much as Storm Boy, but both are beautiful and excellent stories of the northwest coastal people and their cultures, and both feature, in the final two pages, detailed explanations of the imagery and meanings found in the illustrations and are highly educational as well as magical.

This is the story of a chief's daughter who goes to the land of the Frog People where she finds the grandmother weeping bitterly because all of her children have disappeared. The girl had seen two boys capture the frogs earlier. When Volcano Woman begins to destroy the girl's village, she knows she needs to find the frogs and release them in order to restore balance to nature.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful children's book. The artwork and the story combine to give children a nice introduction to tribal stories in the pacific northwest, but the book stands on its own, there's no need to look for an excuse to read this book, read it because your children will love it.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was as an engaging Native American tale that teaches children respect for the world around them. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. I'm looking forward to reading Lewis' other work as well.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these books. David is really interested in New Zeland, so it was fun to read a myth of theirs.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the most beautifully illoed books i've ever seen

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautifully illustrated Paul Owen Lewis book. I am a definite fan but I didn't like this one as much as Davy's Dream and Storm Boy, but it is still worth checking out.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems to end abruptly.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story, and the art is beautiful. Moira loved figuring out who the underwater people were, and finding all the hidden symbols in their land.

[Raiyah Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool fun book

[Letty Lovechild · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that shows that we are all connected and should respect each other.

[EJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've gotta say: Frog Girl was one of the all time best story books of my childhood. I recommend this to everyone who has kids to read to or just wants to read a really good little story. (:

[Bre Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folktale, Village, Animal Respect, Picture Storybook

Lewis, Paul Owens. Frog Girl. CA: Beyond Words Publishing, 1997. Unp. Primary

In a village in Alaska there lived this girl that watched a bunch of frogs get stolen, all but one, and that one frog called out to her and led her to its frog village. While they were there the girl was warned that her own village would be destroyed unless she saves the frogs that were stolen and when she got back to her village it was about to be destroyed but she found the stolen frogs and returned them to their lake then the village returned to normal, and her people came back. The girl told her village that the animals are just like them and need to be treated as such. I like this book a lot because it teaches to respect the environment around you, it also uses beautiful imagery and has a sort of whimsical feeling to tell the story.

Alaska Connection: Village, Totem Poles, Respect for Animals

Related Activity: In your group, discuss why it is important to respect the animals and environment around us

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

This bright and glossy book looks a like beautiful depiction of coastal First Nations cultures, but in the author’s attempt to depict “universal themes … in the rich oral traditions and bold graphic art of the Haida, Tlingt, and other Native peoples” (Author’s Note, 2nd to last page, no #s) he has failed to recognise that different First Nations have their own distinct and specific traditions. A Tlingt staff member commented that her grandmother had a blanket with the same design as shown “but we would never have used those colours as we did not have any materials to make those dyes.” These books cannot be considered as authentic indigenous resources because of such inaccuracies, because the author is not a member of the any of the cultures involved, and because of an obvious lack of significant consultation with the First Nations peoples whose cultures are being depicted.
In fact, as this book is being presented as a legitimate Indigenous story while it clearly is not, it is an example of cultural appropriation and should only be used as such.

[Phreia Von Woolfgaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as bedtime story for two of my children. It is an adaptation of a few different first nations stories together. The story captures the interconnection of all living things. Although we are not the same species as all the creatures on the earth we are all connected in more ways than we realize. The sooner we realize that we are connected the sooner we can all do something to create positive changes in the world not just amongst societies but for animals and climates. I would highly recommend this book for others to enjoy and read with their children. This story really reminded me about the story my grandmother had bought years ago that was in English and in Cree.

[Julie Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful First Nation book about how frogs are important to the environment. The artwork is so captivating as is the story of how a young girl saves her people and the place they live. I love how the artwork reflects the First Nation designs and legends. Learning to love all animals and to see how they might be more tangled in your everyday living than what you think is a good lesson to learn.

[Sara Cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book with beautiful illustrations and important message. This book tells young readers to be aware of the envrionment and animals through beautiful artwork. Another cool aspect is that part of the profits from the book were given to a tribal youth program.

Lexile: AD240L
Guided Reading: L

Trait: Idea, word choice

[Jane Vellichor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is incredible. Some of the pictures were like the Native American version of the throne room from the Wizard of Oz.
The story is an excellent example of a quest/adventure fairy tale. Which is why I found the Author's note in the back (which discussed Northwest Coast motifs of Separation, Initiation, and Return) to be so enlightening.

[Samantha Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!!! The use of the volcano giving inspiration is beautiful. The illustrations are too gorgeous to even attempt to describe. The connection between the girl and her village is crucial for understanding her reasoning.

[Sharaya Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic folktale of Northwestern Native American tribes.

I would say it's a good children's book to help introduce people to the idea of what the author refers to as the hero's "rights of passage" or journey from peril to triumph.

Great illustrations.

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of interconnectedness between humans and other living creatures, in this case frogs. Present frog people as having souls just like humans and worthy of respect for living and habitat.

Used: Read Books, Moncton, NB Canada.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, a simple moral tale well told.

[LaDow Picture · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short, I want more of the story.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend told me they read this story at a student retreat and how much the students liked it. The story feels incomplete as written, but the author’s notes would add more context to it.