The Book of the Frog

by Sally Coulthard

Frogs are extraordinary creatures. Unlike most other animals, they have mastered both land and water, and are capable of breathing through their skins and their lungs. Some of them are so poisonous that just one tiny frog harbours enough toxins to kill ten people stone dead, while others have held the key to lifesaving medicines and treatments, including the world's first pregnancy tests and cures for skin cancer. Cultures have loved and loathed frogs in equal measure, hailing them both as symbols of fertility and evil witches' familiars.Packed with beautiful illustrations and brimming with interesting facts, Sally Coulthard presents how frogs have successfully colonised some of the most challenging terrains on the planet. From the frozen Arctic to the parched South African desert, adopting bizarre and miraculous breeding strategies in the gastric-brooding frogs raise offspring in their stomachs, while in another species the froglets erupt from their mother's skin rather than growing from tadpoles.In The Book of the Frog, Sally Coulthard leaps into the cultural and natural history of frogs. Covering both familiar native British species and exotic rarities, she shares her fascination for these much-admired but often little understood creatures, many of which face threats and conservation challenges. From frogspawn and froglets to eating habits and hibernation, The Book of the Frog serves as the perfect jumping off point for anyone who loves amphibians.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Natural History, Science

176 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2024

About the author

After studying Archaeology & Anthropology at Oxford University, best-selling author and designer Sally Coulthard has spent the last twenty years designing, making and writing about homes, craft and outdoor spaces. She sees no boundary between the rules that govern good interior design and those which are needed to craft a spectacular studio or glorious garden.

Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.

Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.

Reviews

[Alexandra Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely insight into the history of frogs and the discrepancies between different species. Full of really interesting facts and biology, as well as notes on how to support frog populations.

[Katie Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of the Frog is a delightful and easy-to-follow introduction to the fascinating world of frogs and toads. It reads more like a collection of fun facts and “Did you know?” moments than a deep dive.

Sally Coulthard covers a wide range of topics in a relatively short book, which makes it perfect for casual readers or anyone just starting to explore an interest in these creatures. However, this broad scope does come at the cost of depth - the book remains quite surface-level throughout, and I often found myself wishing it had gone further or explored topics in more detail.

That said, the illustrations are absolutely lovely and really enhance the reading experience. Visually, it’s a beautiful book to flip through, and I can definitely see myself picking it up again.

A great pick for nature enthusiasts and the frog-curious alike - just keep in mind it’s more of an overview than an in-depth guide. It offers a light and enjoyable glimpse into the world of frogs rather than a detailed exploration. Still, it’s a charming read that’s well worth your time.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its pleasant cover depicting a frog next to marsh marigolds, I expected this book to be a good basic guide to frogs, and possibly toads, in the UK. However this small book attempted to cover frogs and toads of the whole world from several angles. The writing was enjoyable and I did discover all sorts of snippets of information, but I would have preferred the book to have been a more in depth look at our national species…

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frogs !! Beautifully illustrated and brief but concise descriptions of British frogs and frogs in other places, the differences in structure and habitat and the current food and climate restrictions and concerns . If we ignore the frogs and their adaptations and plight , we will pay our dues in problems of our own living conditions. Beware!!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative but short overview on the biology, ethology and conservation of frogs. Fascinating examples of unusual species and clearly written with passion for the subject. However I did feel it could have been fleshed out more and given a conclusion. Overall just liked learning about frogs! Frogs are cool and deserve our respect and protection.

[Mel R-T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Melina Topp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brimming with interesting frog and toad facts. Nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining and easy to read. What it lacked in photos it made up for in illustrations.

[空 · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked that coulthard also included ways to help, not just doom and gloom. i appreciate that about her books.

[Oz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, not wildly informative for me personally, but I Did learn that the popular differences between frogs and toads really only apply in the UK, so that was interesting.

[Tana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting introduction to frogs for those of us who know nothing. The drawings are beautiful

Chapter 1: The Evolutionary Pond different types of frogs and toads that exist and how difficult it is to differentiate between frogs and toads as there's many exceptions.

Chapter 2: Leaping and Landing some frogs can leap, some float down and some run and some leap but can't land properly. The African sharp-nosed frog can leap so high that it's like a human jumping over the Great Pyramid of Giza. Frogs back legs store energy hence like the way elastic can stretch and then snap, frogs use their back legs the same way to catapult. There are also frogs that live in trees.
Interesting facts on webbed feets (related to oxygen).

Chapter 3: Skin Deep
Friday is are good at evolving to their surroundings as noticed by Darwin in Uruguay where it's dessert climate has frogs that don't require humid pond environments. There's also frogs in cold Siberian climates.
Frog skin can be toxic.

Chapter 4: The Frog Chorus
Frogs sing but the male frogs are louder. And depending on the frog type they have extraordinary vocal abilities

Chapter 5: Sex and Spawning
They can have explosive or prolonged breeding. Prolonged breeders tend to be a little more civilised not trying to impregnate as many females as possible but happy to indulge in the one that stumbles along their lair. The latter is to be found in warmer climates.

Chapter 6: The Glorious Tadpole
Young frogs are called froglets. Most tadpoles won't make it. And some tadpoles develop on leaves.
The shrinking frog shrinks when it transforms from a tadpole to a frog.

Chapter 7: The Frog Menu
The common frog eats slugs, worms, ants, flies snails (handy to have frogs in the garden!).

Chapter 8: Frogs and Culture
Frogs are used in Chinese medicine (Chan su) and we're used by the Romans.
In Scotland they call frogs and toads "puddocks" and a pond teaming with frogs is described as "puddocky"
Frogs became associated with witches from the medieval witch hunt days. Fear of frogs is called ranidaphobia.
Some ancient civilizations worshipped frogs.

Chapter 9: Frog Challenges
Pesticides, pollution, climate change, roads and a decline of ponds are a danger to frogs.

[Kathryn ANDERSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally Coulthard explores the life of a frog from tiny tadpole to a fully developed frog. If you enjoy informational books with tons of facts per chapter and neat illustrations, this may be for you. If you are a frog enthusiast that can't get enough of frogs and toads, this is also for you!

Short book with a slew of great illustrations and fun facts you can share with friends.