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A Frog in the Bog
The Barnes & Noble Review
Bear Snores On author Karma Wilson teams with illustrator Joan Rankin to serve up this tasty morsel of a picture book about a frog and his appetite gone awry.
Bear Snores On author Karma Wilson teams with illustrator Joan Rankin to serve up this tasty morsel of a picture book about a frog and his appetite gone awry.
When "a frog on the log in the middle of a bog" spots a solitary tick, he gulps it up and happily "grows a little bit bigger...." The hungry croaker's belly isn't satiated, though, and after he slurps "TWO fleas as they leap through the reeds," "THREE flies as they buzz through the skies," and more unsuspecting insects, the frog's stomach has grown to mammoth proportions. But when the frog's seat "starts to rise...and the frog sees eyes!," a big "GATOR!" scream lets all the insects scurry out of his mouth, leaving the poor critter "right in the middle of his holler...a whole lot smaller" and bugs leery of going near him again.
With rhyme schemes that tickle your tongue and Rankin's silly watercolor illustrations, kids will surely snicker over this frog's tummy-turning situation. Hilarious scenes of the bugs crowded inside the frog's belly, their eventual escape to freedom, and plenty of slyly placed extras (like a line of flies at the "flyrodrome") are on target for rip-roaring storytellings and other times when readers need a pick-me-up. A boggy delight to tickle your funny bone.
Matt Warner
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
12 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Karma Wilson
105 books523 followersKarma Wilson grew up an only child of a single mother in the wilds of North Idaho. Way back then (just past the stone age and somewhat before the era of computers) there was no cable TV and if there had been Karma could not have recieved it. TV reception was limited to 3 channels, of which one came in with some clarity. Karma did the only sensible thing a lonely little girl could do…she read or played outdoors.
Playing outdoors was fun, but reading was Karma’s “first love” and, by the age 11, she was devouring about a novel a day. She was even known to try to read while riding her bike down dirt roads, which she does not recommend as it is hazardous to the general well being of the bike, the rider, and more importantly the book. Her reading preferences were fantasy (C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, etc…) and historical fiction (L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc…). Those tastes have not changed much.
Karma never considered writing as a profession because her mother was a professional writer which made it seem like mundane work. At the age of 27 she realized that she still loved well-written children’s books of all kinds, from picture books to young adult novels. By that time Karma was a wife and the mother of three young children. Trips to the library with her kids were a combination of emotions…a good book meant fun for all! But so many of the books weren’t what her children wanted to listen to.
Then a tax refund changed everything. With the money the family decided to invest in a computer. Karma was forced to learn to type. Combining her desire to make the expensive computer pay for itself, her new-found typing skill, and her love of children’s literature, Karma started writing for children. She wanted to put a few more good books on the library shelves and pay off that computer! Countless rejections and three years later Karma was finally accepted by book agent Steven Malk (who had already rejected her once, which she never lets him forget). Her first book, Bear Snores On, was released in 2002. The computer was paid for!
Since then Karma has had more than 30 books accepted for publication. Many of those are on the shelves of libraries and bookstores around the world. Her books have received numerous state and national awards, been translated into dozens of languages, and a few have made an appearance on the New York Times bestseller list. Karma sincerely hopes that her books bring joy to children and families everywhere.
Karma writes humorous, rhythmic picture books for the very young, and humorous and wistful poetry for the primary grades.
These days Karma lives with her handsome husband Scott, and her three not-so-young-anymore children, two dogs, two chickens and one cat on some modest but lovely acreage in NW Montana. Her hobbies include reading (of course), photography, baking, yoga, and a passion for Mixed Martial Arts.
Playing outdoors was fun, but reading was Karma’s “first love” and, by the age 11, she was devouring about a novel a day. She was even known to try to read while riding her bike down dirt roads, which she does not recommend as it is hazardous to the general well being of the bike, the rider, and more importantly the book. Her reading preferences were fantasy (C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, etc…) and historical fiction (L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc…). Those tastes have not changed much.
Karma never considered writing as a profession because her mother was a professional writer which made it seem like mundane work. At the age of 27 she realized that she still loved well-written children’s books of all kinds, from picture books to young adult novels. By that time Karma was a wife and the mother of three young children. Trips to the library with her kids were a combination of emotions…a good book meant fun for all! But so many of the books weren’t what her children wanted to listen to.
Then a tax refund changed everything. With the money the family decided to invest in a computer. Karma was forced to learn to type. Combining her desire to make the expensive computer pay for itself, her new-found typing skill, and her love of children’s literature, Karma started writing for children. She wanted to put a few more good books on the library shelves and pay off that computer! Countless rejections and three years later Karma was finally accepted by book agent Steven Malk (who had already rejected her once, which she never lets him forget). Her first book, Bear Snores On, was released in 2002. The computer was paid for!
Since then Karma has had more than 30 books accepted for publication. Many of those are on the shelves of libraries and bookstores around the world. Her books have received numerous state and national awards, been translated into dozens of languages, and a few have made an appearance on the New York Times bestseller list. Karma sincerely hopes that her books bring joy to children and families everywhere.
Karma writes humorous, rhythmic picture books for the very young, and humorous and wistful poetry for the primary grades.
These days Karma lives with her handsome husband Scott, and her three not-so-young-anymore children, two dogs, two chickens and one cat on some modest but lovely acreage in NW Montana. Her hobbies include reading (of course), photography, baking, yoga, and a passion for Mixed Martial Arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
January 18, 2022
There's a frog on the log
in the middle of the bog.
A small, green frog
on a half-sunk log
in the middle of the bog
in the middle of the bog.
A small, green frog
on a half-sunk log
in the middle of the bog
May 21, 2015
Frog in the Bog is a fun, rhyming story about, well, a frog in the bog. The rhythm is great and there is some counting involved, plus lots of yucky critters that the frog eats which my gross little boys enjoyed. A great read for everyone.
March 6, 2018
Fun rhythm :)
April 21, 2023
You may know Karma Wilson’s lovable Bear who snores on, feels scared, gives thanks, and has other adventures with his woodland friends. But don’t sleep on this one! Wilson brings her bouncy read-along magic to a bog full of critters.
April 28, 2019
A Frog in the Bog is a great book for young children. It follows a Frog who can't quite get enough to eat. He searches the bog to find everything he can eat. He eats worms, bugs, and other critters you would find in a bog. When the Frog is almost completely full and continuing to grow from all of the bugs he has eaten he is met with a surprise. The story helps young children understand that despite how much you want something there is always somebody out there who will challenge that. You could use this in the classroom to teach students about being happy with what you have and the idea of moderation or greed. The story was well done and the illustrations add to the setting of the bog with darker colors.
February 2, 2024
I loved this book, and can write no better review than this one, which appears as the synopsis: When "a frog on the log in the middle of a bog" spots a solitary tick, he gulps it up and happily "grows a little bit bigger...." The hungry croaker's belly isn't satiated, though, and after he slurps "TWO fleas as they leap through the reeds," "THREE flies as they buzz through the skies," and more unsuspecting insects, the frog's stomach has grown to mammoth proportions. But when the frog's seat "starts to rise...and the frog sees eyes!," a big "GATOR!" scream lets all the insects scurry out of his mouth, leaving the poor critter "right in the middle of his holler...a whole lot smaller" and bugs leery of going near him again.
With rhyme schemes that tickle your tongue and Rankin's silly watercolor illustrations, kids will surely snicker over this frog's tummy-turning situation. Hilarious scenes of the bugs crowded inside the frog's belly, their eventual escape to freedom, and plenty of slyly placed extras (like a line of flies at the "flyrodrome") are on target for rip-roaring storytellings and other times when readers need a pick-me-up. A boggy delight to tickle your funny bone.
Matt Warner
With rhyme schemes that tickle your tongue and Rankin's silly watercolor illustrations, kids will surely snicker over this frog's tummy-turning situation. Hilarious scenes of the bugs crowded inside the frog's belly, their eventual escape to freedom, and plenty of slyly placed extras (like a line of flies at the "flyrodrome") are on target for rip-roaring storytellings and other times when readers need a pick-me-up. A boggy delight to tickle your funny bone.
Matt Warner
August 5, 2022
A Frog in the Bog is a picture book intended for children ages 2-4.
The story of A Frog in the Bog is about a frog that sits on a half sunk log eating many bugs until the log turns into an alligator. The frog releases all the bugs he ate and the alligator swims away as the frog is now too small to eat.
I rate A Frog in the Bog three stars. It is a nice book, but it has a very gross art style. The illustrations resemble watercolor. It's a somewhat colorful book, but is mostly green and brown with pops of reddish hues, and with minimal hard outlines. The illustrations have a lot of detail, and when the book wants to show depth it can but most pages are pretty flat. Its language is reminiscent of, there was an old lady who swallowed a fly, as the book recounts all the bugs the frog previously ate after he eats one, rhyming each sentence. The bugs in the bog learn to stay away from the frog and the frog learns to stay off of logs. The frog doesn't learn not to eat so much even though he should have. This book would be appealing to any kids who like frogs.
The story of A Frog in the Bog is about a frog that sits on a half sunk log eating many bugs until the log turns into an alligator. The frog releases all the bugs he ate and the alligator swims away as the frog is now too small to eat.
I rate A Frog in the Bog three stars. It is a nice book, but it has a very gross art style. The illustrations resemble watercolor. It's a somewhat colorful book, but is mostly green and brown with pops of reddish hues, and with minimal hard outlines. The illustrations have a lot of detail, and when the book wants to show depth it can but most pages are pretty flat. Its language is reminiscent of, there was an old lady who swallowed a fly, as the book recounts all the bugs the frog previously ate after he eats one, rhyming each sentence. The bugs in the bog learn to stay away from the frog and the frog learns to stay off of logs. The frog doesn't learn not to eat so much even though he should have. This book would be appealing to any kids who like frogs.
September 27, 2019
I love the song-like lyrics in this book. I feel like I'm chanting as I read this book to my son. I love how both the frog and the insects learn at the end of the book how to keep themselves safer.
Talking Points - Do you have a second chance at every situation? Which situations do you have 2nd chances on? Which situations do you not have 2nd chances on?
Essential Oil Pairing Tips - Bogs often have cypress trees in them. For that reason I'd recommend diffusing cypress to set the atmosphere. Or better yet, I would diffuse doTERRA's Aromatouch (which has cypress in it) while reading this book. I think you'll love the smell.
Talking Points - Do you have a second chance at every situation? Which situations do you have 2nd chances on? Which situations do you not have 2nd chances on?
Essential Oil Pairing Tips - Bogs often have cypress trees in them. For that reason I'd recommend diffusing cypress to set the atmosphere. Or better yet, I would diffuse doTERRA's Aromatouch (which has cypress in it) while reading this book. I think you'll love the smell.
June 3, 2021
A fun and colorful read about a frog who grows bigger and bigger until he draws the attention of the "log" that is actually an alligator that he has been sitting on. There is some repetition where young students could "read" along with the teacher --- "And the frog grows a little bit bigger." This book reminds me of the "There was an old lady who swallowed..." books. There is also an opportunity for young students to count the tick, slugs, flies, fleas, etc as the frog ingests them. This is a fun easy read that might fit well as a fiction option during a frog themed week.
May 20, 2019
This book had everything that you could ask for in a children's picture book! From rhyming, to colorful pictures, to counting small numbers, to exciting text! It was a great read and my kids thoroughly enjoyed it. They thought it was hilarious how big the frog was by the end of the book after eating all sorts of bugs. They were also shocked to see what the frog was sitting on! I recommend this book for any young child!
September 2, 2020
The book "A Frog in the Bog" written by Karma Wilson was a book that I think I enjoyed reading the most. I enjoyed the illustrations and also how ADORABLE the book was. The book is a really easy read and wasn't too long, which is good because it means that it will keep the children attention. I also enjoyed how the book has really good rhyming techniques and would be an excellent book for story time.
January 13, 2021
This is kind of a classic so it's not going to surprise anyone when I say the artwork feels dated. Some of the images in the board book version aren't much more than splashes of color. I think this was done in a watercolor style so that makes sense even if I'm personally not a fan.
The story is familiar, classic right? But I had forgotten until reading it aloud that the end of the story is a little bit of a tounge twister.
The story is familiar, classic right? But I had forgotten until reading it aloud that the end of the story is a little bit of a tounge twister.
April 27, 2024
A Frog in the Bog is a fantastic way to encourage young children to count forward from 1 -5 in the beginning of the story and then allows them to reverse their counting skills and count backwards from 5 -1. All of this happens while the anticipation of the story builds and the possibility of group reactions occurs when the frog finally realizes it in not a log je is sitting on. This book is a fantastic read!
May 4, 2017
A rhyming story in the vein of the children's song "There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea." I like the repetition of the same phrases as the story builds on them, especially when the unexpected happens. It's a great connective device the keeps the central character top of mind as details are added, and it allows for the kids to make inferences about what may not be as it seems. Cute and funny.
August 23, 2017
The book has great rhyming techniques. A few places didn't seem to line up with the rhyme, but it was very cute. It utilizes sequencing and repetition similarly to There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly. Children can easily pick up on the end of the sequence. The ending is surprising for adults and children. Over all good book.
August 26, 2020
This book is a fun rhyming story about a frog on a bog eating different types of yucky bugs. He eats 1 bug then 2 bugs then 3 until he reaches 5 bugs. It is a great why to introduce rhyming and rote counting. It does get a little scary when the alligator comes in but I believe children would love this story. It's a great read for everyone.
September 27, 2022
I cannot do a frog storytime without including this book! It's a tad on the gross side, if you spend too much time thinking about it, but the children love the romping rhyimg text, watching the frog grow bigger, and being able to yell "gator!" in the library. A fun alternative to a counting book that can be shared one on one or with a group.
February 23, 2017
A really fun read aloud counting book for very early readers. The rhymes pick up steam at just the right moment and kids will love it in the classroom. This would be a really fun book to incorporate in lots of different activities and subjects.
April 8, 2018
What a fun book to read aloud to a kid! The rhymes are great and the watercolor illustrations are excellent. I felt sorry for all the little creatures, but then I felt sorry for the frog. I enjoyed reading the book.
February 7, 2019
I always enjoy rhyming titles with good catchy refrains. The small frog is eating his way through the bog, flicking a one tick and finally munching four colorful slugs and five lovely striped snails. I want to see more illustrations from Joan Rankin, a South African illustrator.
June 17, 2019
A cute rhyming and counting story in which a frog eats insects and gets bigger and bigger, until he’s scared by a gator and the counting goes in reverse as he shrinks down to be small enough that the gator loses interest.
April 19, 2021
Poetry K-1st
This story has a very satisfying rhyme scheme along with the use of numbers in ascending order. I like how it goes back through the things the frog are like the 12 days of Christmas. The rhymes of the story do a good job of adding words per page as well.
This story has a very satisfying rhyme scheme along with the use of numbers in ascending order. I like how it goes back through the things the frog are like the 12 days of Christmas. The rhymes of the story do a good job of adding words per page as well.
December 20, 2021
A frog eats increasingly larger numbers of bugs, but when he's about to be eaten by an alligator, he screams in fright and all the bugs escape. Because the frog shrinks back down to a smaller size, the alligator decides that he can't be bothered to eat him.
October 17, 2023
A singsong rhyme highlights this tale of what happens when a hungry frog meets a hungrier gator.
With soft, dreamy watercolors by Joan Rankin.
With soft, dreamy watercolors by Joan Rankin.
Read
April 25, 2024Multiple phrases per page. A counting story combined with This is the House that Jack Built vibes, counts up to 5 with different animals and then includes an encounter with a gator. Illustrators are lightly water-colored and softer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2025
Rhyming
Both physical movement or puppets or... there are quick and easy things to do with this book for our students to do.
And funny - who doesn't like funny?
Used with a class of students with IEPs - good engagement.
Both physical movement or puppets or... there are quick and easy things to do with this book for our students to do.
And funny - who doesn't like funny?
Used with a class of students with IEPs - good engagement.
June 13, 2017
Read-Aloud Revival recommendation for June picture books. Super cute. Fun rhymes. And everything building up to a snappy surprise.
July 19, 2017
A very funny counting story about a hungry frog whose appetite may be more than he can handle!
July 26, 2017
Another cute Karma Wilson book. Glad to see that she has done other things other than her Bear books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews