A Frog in the Fall

by Linnea Sterte, Olle Forsslöf (Editor & book design)

A young frog (hatched this spring) encounters two toads, who have captured the ghost of a Shungiku flower that withered and died just recently. The spirit yearns for the tropics and so do the two toads. The frog decides to follow them on their journey south. It’s a slice of seasonal life for a frog who experiences everything for the first time. Along the way, the frog has encounters with mice, cats, dogs, trees, persimmons, and other beings. Lessons are learned, and thoughts are exchanged. A meditative road trip, a contemplation on life in general.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Bande Dessinée, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics

332 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Linnea Sterte is a Swedish illustrator and comic book author. She gained international notoriety with her graphic novels Stages of Rot (2017) and A Frog in the Fall (2022). The latter book won the 'Prix Révélation' at the Angoulême Festival in 2023.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book; the kind of graphic novel you'd want to bring on you for a picnic, or an evening read in summer. If you like the Moomins or Ghibli, or even one frog, you'd like this book.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a single word worth three and a half stars here, and that word is "comfy".

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minor frog is less than a year old, and is dismayed when winter begins to steal all of the light and warmth from his world. Instead of bunking down safely with his mentor to wait for spring, he sets out on a journey with two vagabond toads passing by on a quest to make it all the way to the tropics. They tramp through the Japanese countryside, encountering tree spirits, new friends, dangers, and views the likes of which minor frog had never even imagined. This is a gorgeous book; every page worth pouring over, an economy of line and detail building a beautiful and mysterious world of talking animals and miniature packaged foods. Made me want to draw.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Банд десіне «Жабка восени» є твором сценаристки та художниці Ліннеа Стерте, яке виграло цьогоріч престижну нагороду на міжнародному фестивалі мальованих історій в Анґулемі. Примірник отримав для аукціону, але погортавши його, не втримався і прочитав (там не так багато тексту французькою мовою). Так, можете кидати в мене мокрими тряпками, я згрішив, бо піддався насолоді познайомитися із цим банд десіне про жабок.

Сюжет розповідає про пригоди маленької голубої деревної жабки, яка з’явилася на світ минулої весни. Вона зустрічає двох інших мандрівних жаб, які захопили привид зів’ялої квітки Шунґіку. Дух прагне дістатися тропіків, як і дві жаби, які знайшли його. Деревна жабка вирішує супроводжувати їх у подорожі на південь. Протягом одного сезону він стежить за життям маленького жабеняти, яке переживає все вперше. Дорогою деревна жабка зустрічає мишей, котів, собак, дерева, ківі та інших чарівних створінь.

Це банд десіне — медитативна подорож про експериментування, про нові відкриття та про відносини між людьми та природою. Кожен епізод подорожі деревної жабки — це споглядання та роздуми про життя, друзів, рідну землю, власну місію та цінності.

Малюнок в банд десіне виконаний в простому стилі, який водночас робить його вигляд живим та чуттєвим. Це направду гарна мистецька робота, яку подобається гортати й споглядати, й також емоційно переживати. Не знаю чи особисто я б віддав нагороду саме цій роботі, але отриманий досвід читання банд десіне «Жабка восени» Ліннеа Стерте мені сподобався.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful evocative coming-of-age journey featuring a small frog going off with two toads and they head south.

[Carl Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Poetical and profound. Gorgeous in everything from execution to printing. A must-read for all friends of comics, books and frogs.

[Meggie Ramm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful of comics.

[Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really truly beautiful

[Bogdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cozy style of drawing and an easy idea for a story.

But it really works !

The only thing that I`m not happy about it`s that I didn`t find anywhere the physical version of this to buy it!

[Chris Branch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book is certainly a work of art, with exquisite drawings of action and scenery, not to mention the fantastically imagined characters. The comparisons to Studio Ghibli are reasonable, and although the author is Swedish, the setting is Asia, presumably Japan - though I have to admit that the frog and toad protagonists remind me more of The Wind in the Willows.

I will mention, however, that the artwork might have benefited from being in color rather than monochromatic, and I also question the decision to retain the occasional scratched out error in the text. I see it as an effort to display the hand-crafted-ness of the book - and it does that - but I’m not sure the positive impression outweighs the somewhat unprofessional appearance that’s also conveyed. Presenting a more polished look wouldn’t have really detracted from the genuine artistry that obviously went into this book.

And as for the story… I’m afraid I didn’t find it as profound or clever as some other readers did. Quirky, yes, and much of the story was absolutely enjoyable, with (mostly) pleasantly odd encounters and interesting tangents and twists. But certain key events struck me as too unclear, and I was left rather dissatisfied by the conclusion. The lessons learned seemed a bit simplistic, and more vague than thoughtful. I understand that readers are expected to put some thought into it and draw their own conclusions, but in the best stories of this type, the clues dropped along the way take on a new relevance in the mind of the reader when contemplating the resolution, and I didn’t find that to be the case here.

Anyway, there’s a lot to like about this book, especially the wonderful drawings, and I do recommend it to fans of the genre, but for me it wasn’t as satisfying or impressive as it could have been.

[Alba Munarriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first steps into a bigger world. Still environments, changing unnoticed. Contemplation of nature's big sights. Going the extra mile to wonder, before the next year kills us. They're the most expressive froggies <3

[jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

i too want to be a frog traveling through the seasons

[etherealacademia · Rating 5 out of 5]

a slow, contemplative bildungsroman about a young frog leaving home to explore the world. The frog’s experiences—encounters with strange new creatures, moments of solitude, and lessons learned from his companions—capture the melancholic beauty of impermanence. The fleeting, ephemeral nature of the frog's adventures mirrors the seasonal changes he is encountering for the first time.

[Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riktig jävla banger. Älskar verkligen kulturbiblioteket.

[Solux]

je suis cette petite grenouille, les crapauds qui dansent, le prunier qui ne voudrait pas être ailleurs, l'esprit qui traverse l'océan et l'annexe qui explique que les animaux de cet univers ont des petites usines pour produire des petites nouilles instantanées taille souris

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous art and delightful story.

[Marcela Huerta · Rating 5 out of 5]

meditative and deeply kind

[Mel Gillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 10-star book; easily one of the best comics I’ve read this year.

[chromAyshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trop doux cet univers, avec cette poésie anthropomorphe et un peu magique (j'adore que l'esprit du prunier de 12 ans soit représenté par une adolescente qui a l'air d'avoir 12 ans). Avec cette importance donnée aux paysages, ou le blanc du papier est aussi important que les traits d'encre. En bref, magnifiques dessins, et l'envie de faire le voyage avec cette rainette et ces crapaux.

Bonus on apprend à la fin que l'autrice est anti-capitaliste et qu'elle "échangerait volontiers les 10 dernières années de production Disney contre [un court-métrage d'animation soviétique], donc comment mettre moins de 5.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved ittttt

[Kate File · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un petit conte initiatique tout en douceur servi par des illustrations épurées mais tellement vivantes. Une belle découverte

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[vicinthemeadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comfiest, coziest (and at times sad) slice of life journey of a wee frog through fall (and later on in winter). This was my first introduction into Linnea Sterte's art and i need more! I loved this story. And the afterward notes. That it I'm moving to the seaside town of the cats!

[anna b · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, this is so good. This art and these vibes and the sweet humor throughout, I loved this so very much!

[Thea Jacobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous and meditative, but I would have loved a stronger ending to better tie the themes together.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, it's gorgeous--that much is immediately clear. As an object and as a story, it's extremely lovely. I especially liked the author's note at the end. I've had folks recommending this to me for months, and they were all 100% correct to do so.

[Cass (the_midwest_library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully cozy adventure story about a brave-yet cautious frog. I absolutely loved the art and the story the book was so wonderful. The edition is beautiful as well and I feel fortunate to have backed the Kickstarter

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Linnea Sterte's Stages of Rot , and am thrilled to find that more of her work is popping up here in the USA. A frog in the fall has a similar vibe to Stages of Rot, as the author creates a liminal world situated somewhere close to the one we know, but one where animals and plants live rich lives largely free of destructive human impacts.

Much of the content is directly inspired by Japanese graphic art traditions, and this carries over to the book's open spine binding, akin to the Japanese stab binding technique. The pages are printed in a landscape format, so that each two-page spread allows for a "wide screen" layout, and Sterte often uses this to depict the expansive landscapes that her amphibious characters explore.

The narrative is gentle and contemplative, something that strongly appeals to me in these turbulent times of creeping authoritarianism and recklessly malignant capitalism. Escapism can be its own trap, but A frog in the fall is a balm that reminds us that we don't all have to spend our lives behaving like greedy assholes.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young frog spontaneously joins two traveling toads in a journey south to seek warmer tropical climates. What follows is a charming and whimsical adventure of discovery where the young frog forms his perception of the world through his interaction with other anthropomorphized fauna and flora.

This book projects a child-like wonderment for nature that's simply infectious and makes familiar natural processes feel magical. Sterte's passion for nature and her ability to imagine a mystical world under its surface reminds me a lot of famed Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto, who developed much of the iconography for Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Mario through exploring the woods and cave systems behind his house as a kid.

While this story is tonally and thematically very satisfying I was a little underwhelmed by the characterization and plotting which is nothing special. It's not a flaw per se as the novel is far more experiential than narrative focused but I would have appreciated a bit more dramatic weight. The art however is really pleasant and makes an excellent use of shadow and scale which imbues the reading experience with an apt sense of adventure and whimsy 8.25/10

[Izaak · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing little story about a frog venturing in a fairytale Japan. The physical book itself is just gorgeous - it's printed in an indigo blue color, and with the way the book is structured, it *feels* like a family heirloom.

The story itself is just such a fun and relaxing read. It's an easy story to just pick up and lose yourself in for hours of a rainy day. If you have the chance to pick this book up, do it!!! It'll be one of the best books you've read in a while.