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The Queen of the Frogs
An enchanting modern fable
The frogs enjoy their life at the pond, filling their days with fly brunches and night music. But one day a little frog finds a crown at the bottom of the pond and is instantly pronounced a queen. She starts doing what queens do: making demands and expecting others to serve her. But when her royal subjects start to question her authority, she must prove she's fit to rule—if she can.
Reminiscent of Aesop's fables, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to start a discussion about the concept of leadership and the importance of humility.
The frogs enjoy their life at the pond, filling their days with fly brunches and night music. But one day a little frog finds a crown at the bottom of the pond and is instantly pronounced a queen. She starts doing what queens do: making demands and expecting others to serve her. But when her royal subjects start to question her authority, she must prove she's fit to rule—if she can.
Reminiscent of Aesop's fables, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to start a discussion about the concept of leadership and the importance of humility.
38 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Davide Calì
212 books134 followersDavide Calì is a Swiss-born Italian writer of picture books and graphic novels, primarily for children and young adults. He lives in Italy. His work has been published in twenty-five countries and translated into many languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 7, 2017
"The Queen of the Frogs" written by Davide Cali is the tale of a frog community existing in peace and harmony, doing froggy things like hopping and catching flies, until something falls from the sky and plops into their pond. Diving into the pond, the fastest frog finds a crown and is proclaimed queen. Frog advisors tell her that queens give orders, sleep alot, and cannot speak to other frogs. Life at the frog pond has changed.
The combination of text by Cali and beautiful illustrations by Marco Soma create a vehicle for parents or teachers of young children to ask open ended questions. Encouraging full sentence responses, children can be asked questions such as "What do you predict will happen?" or "How do the frogs feel about the queen?" "The Queen of the Frogs" by Davide Cali would be a welcome addition to any home or school library.
Thank you Eerdmans Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Queen of the Frogs".
The combination of text by Cali and beautiful illustrations by Marco Soma create a vehicle for parents or teachers of young children to ask open ended questions. Encouraging full sentence responses, children can be asked questions such as "What do you predict will happen?" or "How do the frogs feel about the queen?" "The Queen of the Frogs" by Davide Cali would be a welcome addition to any home or school library.
Thank you Eerdmans Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Queen of the Frogs".
January 28, 2017
What a great "enchanting modern fable", as it is described in the blurb!
Life in the frogs' pond was quite and pleasant, until something round and metallic feel into the water, and the frogs decided it was a crown. This meant the frog who found it was now the Queen of the frogs. Everything started to change, although nobody was sure about the benefit of these changes. Some frogs dared to question the reasons for the Queen being the queen. To make things worse, the Queen lost her crown after a deep dive. What happens now? Is she still the Queen?
Great story and amazing illustrations. And when I say amazing I mean it. Marco Somà is incredibly talented. Look at this:
We read an electronic version of this, but I really think it is worth to buy a hard copy.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Life in the frogs' pond was quite and pleasant, until something round and metallic feel into the water, and the frogs decided it was a crown. This meant the frog who found it was now the Queen of the frogs. Everything started to change, although nobody was sure about the benefit of these changes. Some frogs dared to question the reasons for the Queen being the queen. To make things worse, the Queen lost her crown after a deep dive. What happens now? Is she still the Queen?
Great story and amazing illustrations. And when I say amazing I mean it. Marco Somà is incredibly talented. Look at this:
We read an electronic version of this, but I really think it is worth to buy a hard copy.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
Once there was a pond. In the pond lived lots of happy frogs, doing froggy things and enjoying life.
One summers evening whilst they were sat singing around the pond, something dropped into the water. The frogs dived to the bottom to find the item. When they got back to the surface one of the frogs was wearing the item on her head, a crown. The other frogs all called her ‘queen’ and starting chanting ‘long live the queen’.
Soon, they were fed up of having a queen. She bossed them about, demanded the largest lily pad, and was constantly hungry, so they had to work hard to catch flies for her. This started to make the frogs sad.
One day one of the frogs came up with a fantastic idea to get things back to normal. You’re going to have to read the book to find out if he managed it, and how?
The Queen of Frogs, is a young children’s hardcover book. It was a joy to read, and the story was captivating, and full of fun.
I loved the large, colourful, eye catching illustrations that are adorned throughout, which are full of character.
The book would be perfect for bedtime reading, alongside class reading. I can see it being a story that is read over, and over again.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
One summers evening whilst they were sat singing around the pond, something dropped into the water. The frogs dived to the bottom to find the item. When they got back to the surface one of the frogs was wearing the item on her head, a crown. The other frogs all called her ‘queen’ and starting chanting ‘long live the queen’.
Soon, they were fed up of having a queen. She bossed them about, demanded the largest lily pad, and was constantly hungry, so they had to work hard to catch flies for her. This started to make the frogs sad.
One day one of the frogs came up with a fantastic idea to get things back to normal. You’re going to have to read the book to find out if he managed it, and how?
The Queen of Frogs, is a young children’s hardcover book. It was a joy to read, and the story was captivating, and full of fun.
I loved the large, colourful, eye catching illustrations that are adorned throughout, which are full of character.
The book would be perfect for bedtime reading, alongside class reading. I can see it being a story that is read over, and over again.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
March 1, 2017
The Queen of Frogs is a short but sweet tale of a colony of frogs that suddenly find themselves living under a Queendom. The story is written with a light but gentle touch and was truly a joy to read. I can easily see the kids I used to teach loving something like this.
The illustrations completely stole the show in this picture book. While I was quite fond of the tale, I adored the sublime drawings presented in this special book. I’m not a person with a specific opinion on frogs but the way the illustrator drew them was graceful and utterly charming. I’d love to have a copy of this picture book in my collection.
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated are my own and not influenced by the exchange.
The illustrations completely stole the show in this picture book. While I was quite fond of the tale, I adored the sublime drawings presented in this special book. I’m not a person with a specific opinion on frogs but the way the illustrator drew them was graceful and utterly charming. I’d love to have a copy of this picture book in my collection.
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated are my own and not influenced by the exchange.
April 25, 2017
To me a children's book should be rich with illustrations that tell the story visually interpreting the text from the author. In The Queen of the Frogs the muted browns, greens, and reds and the charm of the frog drawings themselves, are true to the story with true merit of their own.
Looking at the story from the point of view of a child: It is a story of a group of frogs and an imaginary life that one can perceive exists in the pond. The illustrations bring hilarity and life to the simple story of finding an object that promotes the finder to queen status. Then of course they have to figure out just what it is that a queen does. Eventually, the queen's crown is lost again in the depths of the pond so the frog-queen is no longer regarded as special and therefore queen. So life in the pond returns to its previous state of blissful frog happiness.
Looking at the story from an adult viewpoint (and wondering if this deeper meaning is meant to be conveyed to the child reader/listener): The frogs living a simple life create a one in which a single individual dominates the populace simply because of a status symbol. Made up rules grant elevated rank to the holder of the crown and servitude to the remaining frogs. Then, when the status symbol is lost, the servant-frogs demote the crown wearer to their own level. Life returns to its once blissful state.
The ending is interesting as humans are inserted into the tale and their ownership of the "crown" is shared as one of happiness.
I prefer to read the story simply on the level that a child might enjoy it without the heavy thoughts of political gain and loss. I love the illustrations and their colors so reflective of life around a pond. I love, too, the charm and liveliness of the frogs as they go about their wonderful life in the pond with a touch of whimsical charm.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.
Looking at the story from the point of view of a child: It is a story of a group of frogs and an imaginary life that one can perceive exists in the pond. The illustrations bring hilarity and life to the simple story of finding an object that promotes the finder to queen status. Then of course they have to figure out just what it is that a queen does. Eventually, the queen's crown is lost again in the depths of the pond so the frog-queen is no longer regarded as special and therefore queen. So life in the pond returns to its previous state of blissful frog happiness.
Looking at the story from an adult viewpoint (and wondering if this deeper meaning is meant to be conveyed to the child reader/listener): The frogs living a simple life create a one in which a single individual dominates the populace simply because of a status symbol. Made up rules grant elevated rank to the holder of the crown and servitude to the remaining frogs. Then, when the status symbol is lost, the servant-frogs demote the crown wearer to their own level. Life returns to its once blissful state.
The ending is interesting as humans are inserted into the tale and their ownership of the "crown" is shared as one of happiness.
I prefer to read the story simply on the level that a child might enjoy it without the heavy thoughts of political gain and loss. I love the illustrations and their colors so reflective of life around a pond. I love, too, the charm and liveliness of the frogs as they go about their wonderful life in the pond with a touch of whimsical charm.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.
February 26, 2017
Este es el tipo de libro que amaba de chica. Siempre fui medio freak así que las ilustraciones me fascinaron-- medio Edward Gorey sin ser tan creepy y violentas, lo cual me hizo disfrutarlo mucho.
La historia estuvo okay, aunque no estoy del todo segura en cuanto al hilo conductor... pensé que iba a tener una moraleja (como la rana reina arrepintiéndose porque fue mala y una rana muy aburrida), pero, aunque no la tuvo, igual lo disfruté. Me encantaría tener la versión física en mi biblioteca, quedaría preciosa.
La historia estuvo okay, aunque no estoy del todo segura en cuanto al hilo conductor... pensé que iba a tener una moraleja (como la rana reina arrepintiéndose porque fue mala y una rana muy aburrida), pero, aunque no la tuvo, igual lo disfruté. Me encantaría tener la versión física en mi biblioteca, quedaría preciosa.
December 23, 2016
I enjoyed this cute book, but I didn't love it. I'm not sure where the appeal to kids lies. The illustrations are lovely and subdued, and I think readers will enjoy poring over them, but the story itself just didn't work for me. This book has the feel of a classic, but I don't think young readers will like the end when all of a sudden we're talking about kissing. Maybe something was lost in translation?
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*
July 27, 2019
¡Es muy bueno! Tiene un ritmo narrativo muy divertido y lleva consigo una aguda reflexión sobre el poder y la subordinación. Las ilustraciones están bacanes, con una vibra steampunk a mi parecer, y completan visualmente la crítica política que hace el cuento.
July 1, 2021
Socialist propaganda AND FROGS??? 10/10 would read again.
March 25, 2017
I did enjoy this book and it was definitely one that had a good moral to the story. The images are really nice and subdued in colour but I think they fit the story well. This book has the feel of a classic fable and I think it is best read by children aged 6 and above so they can understand more about the Queen's crown at the end. 4 stars from me.
January 12, 2017
***I received an ARC from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
Basic premise: One day, during the frogs' nightly singing, something is thrown into the water near them. They all dive down to see what it was, and one frog comes back up with a crown. A group of frogs who decide to be her advisors then claim that she is the queen since she found and is wearing the crown, and many changes begin to take place in the frog community in order to serve the new queen. They are resistant to her monarchy and challenge her to prove herself. In one attempt to do this, she loses the crown in the water again, and it is picked up by a man in a boat. Everything goes back to normal in the frog community, and the reader learns that the crown was actually a ring which had been thrown in the water during a disagreement between lovers but has now been returned to its original owner.
My son and I both enjoyed this book. The illustrations are unique, and the question of the frog queen's monarchy is interesting. I would have liked a little more about the temporary frog queen. She seems to be swept along by advisors and other frogs, depending on the moment. That and the fact that none of them are named or otherwise singled out makes it hard to connect personally to any of the frog characters. And I think the little tidbit about the lovers goes over the head of children but is a fun addition for the adult reader. Probably not an every night read, but this would make a good gift for the fascinating illustrations and quick, cute story.
Basic premise: One day, during the frogs' nightly singing, something is thrown into the water near them. They all dive down to see what it was, and one frog comes back up with a crown. A group of frogs who decide to be her advisors then claim that she is the queen since she found and is wearing the crown, and many changes begin to take place in the frog community in order to serve the new queen. They are resistant to her monarchy and challenge her to prove herself. In one attempt to do this, she loses the crown in the water again, and it is picked up by a man in a boat. Everything goes back to normal in the frog community, and the reader learns that the crown was actually a ring which had been thrown in the water during a disagreement between lovers but has now been returned to its original owner.
My son and I both enjoyed this book. The illustrations are unique, and the question of the frog queen's monarchy is interesting. I would have liked a little more about the temporary frog queen. She seems to be swept along by advisors and other frogs, depending on the moment. That and the fact that none of them are named or otherwise singled out makes it hard to connect personally to any of the frog characters. And I think the little tidbit about the lovers goes over the head of children but is a fun addition for the adult reader. Probably not an every night read, but this would make a good gift for the fascinating illustrations and quick, cute story.
December 13, 2016
Okay, I may be an adult (sort of), but I can't help picking up a children's book every now and then. I need to consume books of all kinds, it's a guilty pleasure.
The Queen of the Frogs is a beautifully illustrated book about a mysterious object that falls from the sky, which just so happens to be a crown. One of the frogs finds it in the water, and the queen of the frogs comes into power.
The story is simple, and teaches a lesson in leadership, and what it means to be a leader. A short and sweet read for children with gorgeous imagery.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
The Queen of the Frogs is a beautifully illustrated book about a mysterious object that falls from the sky, which just so happens to be a crown. One of the frogs finds it in the water, and the queen of the frogs comes into power.
The story is simple, and teaches a lesson in leadership, and what it means to be a leader. A short and sweet read for children with gorgeous imagery.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
March 10, 2017
What a great modern fable that can be used as a mentor text as well as to teach a lesson. Life in the pond was quiet and pleasant. The frogs caught flies, played and sang at night. One day, something round and metallic fell into the pond and the frogs dove down to see what it was. When one of the frogs came up with it, one of the frogs decided it was a crown. This meant the frog who found it was now the "Queen of the frogs". Everything started to change. Her advisors told her what to do and what not to do, she began bossing the other frogs around and life was not the same. This is a great story to teach and reinforce predicting, reasoning and drawing conclusions. It can also be used to model a modern fable before having children write their own. I would use this with classes in late primary, early junior. This is a great story with amazing illustrations. The detail and expression in the illustrations can tell a story all on their own. A book for every school library for students to read as well as teachers to use. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
December 25, 2016
What a sweet little story about a frog who finds a crown and becomes the frog queen. I like how it has a moral showing that having a crown doesn't make you a good queen. The explanation around the crown itself is also cool and left a smile on my face.
The illustrations are lovely, not cartoony, but interesting with neat froggy contraptions and scenarios. I think I would I have liked this had I read it as a kid, mostly for the details in the pictures, but also for the queen's plight.
I would have liked to know what happened to the queen beyond just after having lost her crown.
Overall, I really liked it. Good for bedtime reading, interesting pictures, simple story.
I picked this up on NetGalley for a quick read.
The illustrations are lovely, not cartoony, but interesting with neat froggy contraptions and scenarios. I think I would I have liked this had I read it as a kid, mostly for the details in the pictures, but also for the queen's plight.
I would have liked to know what happened to the queen beyond just after having lost her crown.
Overall, I really liked it. Good for bedtime reading, interesting pictures, simple story.
I picked this up on NetGalley for a quick read.
February 15, 2017
Note: I received a digital review copy through NetGalley.
December 21, 2016
The story begins with a gathering of frogs enjoying life at a leisurely pace, spending "their days doing froggy things" and singing together every evening.
Marco Soma uses an earthy palette to create a world with pleasing details. His illustrations joyfully elaborate on Davide Cali's story, showing household objects and textiles not mentioned in the text. These frogs write at cafe tables, play musical instruments, and wear stylish plaid caps and bowties. Side tables with Tiffany style lamps float on lily pads.
When one frog finds a crown and puts it on her head, the others shout, "Long live the queen!" But the queen proceeds to do what all queens do—give orders, and her subjects miss their unhurried evenings by the pond.
I won't spoil the ending, or say more, except that the crown is returned to its rightful owner—deftly visible in a silhouette reflected on the water. And all the frogs live happily ever after, catching their own flies and singing their favorite song together on summer evenings.
(I received an F&G from the publisher) http://picturebookillustration.blogsp...
Marco Soma uses an earthy palette to create a world with pleasing details. His illustrations joyfully elaborate on Davide Cali's story, showing household objects and textiles not mentioned in the text. These frogs write at cafe tables, play musical instruments, and wear stylish plaid caps and bowties. Side tables with Tiffany style lamps float on lily pads.
When one frog finds a crown and puts it on her head, the others shout, "Long live the queen!" But the queen proceeds to do what all queens do—give orders, and her subjects miss their unhurried evenings by the pond.
I won't spoil the ending, or say more, except that the crown is returned to its rightful owner—deftly visible in a silhouette reflected on the water. And all the frogs live happily ever after, catching their own flies and singing their favorite song together on summer evenings.
(I received an F&G from the publisher) http://picturebookillustration.blogsp...
March 22, 2017
'The Queen of the Frogs' by Davide Cali with illustrations by Marco Somà is a delightful story with an interesting moral.
The frogs have a happy life in the pond. They make noise and swim and enjoy music. One day, something falls into the pond and when one of the frogs retrieves it, she finds that it is a crown. From that day forward, she is pronounced the queen, and does the sorts of things that frogs think queens can do. She doesn't have to catch her own flies, she gets the biggest lilypad, and she is the best at everything, even though she now does nothing.
Life changes for the frogs, but can it ever be the same again?
The story is wise and thought-provoking while still being fun to read. The illustrations are fabulous! There are fish in the ponds with lights attached to their foreheads. There are frog bands in suits and sitting at swanky tables. Even though the color palette remains earthy, there is an abundant amount of detail that kept catching my eye. I really enjoyed this story and it's subtle lesson about those who are given power over us.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
The frogs have a happy life in the pond. They make noise and swim and enjoy music. One day, something falls into the pond and when one of the frogs retrieves it, she finds that it is a crown. From that day forward, she is pronounced the queen, and does the sorts of things that frogs think queens can do. She doesn't have to catch her own flies, she gets the biggest lilypad, and she is the best at everything, even though she now does nothing.
Life changes for the frogs, but can it ever be the same again?
The story is wise and thought-provoking while still being fun to read. The illustrations are fabulous! There are fish in the ponds with lights attached to their foreheads. There are frog bands in suits and sitting at swanky tables. Even though the color palette remains earthy, there is an abundant amount of detail that kept catching my eye. I really enjoyed this story and it's subtle lesson about those who are given power over us.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
June 30, 2018
This book was interesting because it read (to me an adult) as like a fairytale written to explain the need for anarchy and the uselessness of "titled" roles. One day while swimming the frogs find a crown. Having never had one before, they decide as a group that one shall be picked to be queen and that will be their most important frog. She will have the best lilypad and everyone will have to bow down to her. So a little frog gets picked, and she's held with extremely royalty, being bored and doing nothing for herself. Then some humans walk by together, and see the crown - which was really an engagement ring lost in the pond the day before. Without the crown, the frog is just a frog and no longer queen. The frogs all decided to go back to their regular life where they only worried about themselves and decided they were much happier this way than the new way. The queen frog tried to regain power by making a crown, but no one would recognize her power anymore.
September 21, 2018
The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali, illustrated by Marco Soma. PICTURE BOOK Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2017. $16. 9780802854810
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3)—OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
The frogs of the pond spend their days swimming, catching flies, and singing. One day, a crown falls into the pond and when a little frog places it on her head, she is proclaimed the queen. The queen now rules over all the frogs, but her subjects soon begin to object. Now she must prove herself if she wishes to continue to wear the crown.
Beautiful illustrations in muted tones far surpass the quality of the story. Young readers will have little interest in a book that acts as a metaphor for oppressive governments and the ability and desire of the people to revolt to secure their individual freedoms. The ending also hits the wrong tone feeling as though it was added as an afterthought.
AEB
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3)—OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
The frogs of the pond spend their days swimming, catching flies, and singing. One day, a crown falls into the pond and when a little frog places it on her head, she is proclaimed the queen. The queen now rules over all the frogs, but her subjects soon begin to object. Now she must prove herself if she wishes to continue to wear the crown.
Beautiful illustrations in muted tones far surpass the quality of the story. Young readers will have little interest in a book that acts as a metaphor for oppressive governments and the ability and desire of the people to revolt to secure their individual freedoms. The ending also hits the wrong tone feeling as though it was added as an afterthought.
AEB
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
August 4, 2022
With super-cute "vintage watercolor" style illustrations that remind me of Frog and Toad, The Queen of the Frogs is a story about frogs who spend their days catching flies, singing, and playing. Then one frog discovers a crown after it falls into the pond. The frog who discovers it becomes queen and starts ordering the other frogs around, and this means the frogs don't have time or energy to enjoy things like singing and playing. The story was cute and a good lesson about selfishness and community, until the frogs started throwing mud balls at the queen frog. I think the conflict could have been resolved in a more positive manner. It was a cute twist to see where the crown came from in the end.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
January 1, 2018
[Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.]
Today is release day for The Queen of the Frogs, a hilarious story with a moral that everyone can relate to. The story is set at a pond with a community of frogs, flies, and dragonflies. One day, a shiny gold object drops into the pond – the frogs aren’t quite sure what it is, but it looks a lot like a crown. The frog community decided that the frog who found the “crown” should be their new queen, and then the fun ensues.
For a pond that never had a ruler before, they struggle to understand what exactly a queen does. The result is that they really found out all of the things a queen does NOT do, much to their chagrin. The queen doesn’t catch her own flies, she doesn’t get her feet wet, and she doesn’t even talk to the other frogs!
I enjoyed The Queen of the Frogs for its easy to understand writing style and the readily understood message about fairness, with a subtle nudge at questioning authority. The drawings are calm and neutral, but robust with detail. This book would be great for independent readers, or for a fun read-along. I definitely recommend it for a young reader’s library.
Today is release day for The Queen of the Frogs, a hilarious story with a moral that everyone can relate to. The story is set at a pond with a community of frogs, flies, and dragonflies. One day, a shiny gold object drops into the pond – the frogs aren’t quite sure what it is, but it looks a lot like a crown. The frog community decided that the frog who found the “crown” should be their new queen, and then the fun ensues.
For a pond that never had a ruler before, they struggle to understand what exactly a queen does. The result is that they really found out all of the things a queen does NOT do, much to their chagrin. The queen doesn’t catch her own flies, she doesn’t get her feet wet, and she doesn’t even talk to the other frogs!
I enjoyed The Queen of the Frogs for its easy to understand writing style and the readily understood message about fairness, with a subtle nudge at questioning authority. The drawings are calm and neutral, but robust with detail. This book would be great for independent readers, or for a fun read-along. I definitely recommend it for a young reader’s library.
January 24, 2017
The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali (Author), Marco Soma (Illustrator) is a charming children's fiction book for ages four to nine years of age. The story line was interesting with lessons included about what makes a ruler. I gave it four stars.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
This book is in pre-order status until March 20, 2017. I could not leave a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Frogs-Da...
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
This book is in pre-order status until March 20, 2017. I could not leave a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Frogs-Da...
February 25, 2017
The frogs have a nice life at the pond filled with flies, hopping, napping, and singing. But one day, when a frog finds a crown, she instantly is pronounced queen. With her advisors, she begins doing what queens do: basking on the largest lily pad and making others catch her flies for her. Life takes on a new, but not necessarily better normal for everyone, and soon other frogs begin to question her legitimacy as queen.
A cute story with interesting pictures! The Queen of the Frogs helps you focus on the simple and the good in life.
*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.
A cute story with interesting pictures! The Queen of the Frogs helps you focus on the simple and the good in life.
*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an honest review.
May 16, 2017
I can't decide what tickles me most about this sepia-toned fable. I like the fable-iness, about a frog who finds a crown, and lives like a queen until all the other frogs get sick of the arrangement. I like that the fable-iness isn't too heavy-handed.
I ADORE the fine lines and muted watercolors and old-fashioned style of these illustrations. Tailor frogs, frogs in newsboy caps, Victorian bathing costumes and country gentleman plaid trousers.
I love the steampunky fish. And I love the true story of the crown that falls in the pond one day seemingly out of nowhere, and which resolves wholly through inference.
I ADORE the fine lines and muted watercolors and old-fashioned style of these illustrations. Tailor frogs, frogs in newsboy caps, Victorian bathing costumes and country gentleman plaid trousers.
I love the steampunky fish. And I love the true story of the crown that falls in the pond one day seemingly out of nowhere, and which resolves wholly through inference.
June 26, 2017
The frogs who lived in the pond until one day when something fell into the water. One little frog found it and placed it on her head. Because she found it, she was named Queen and all the other frogs had to serve her and her advisors. But one day, the frogs were having a diving contest. When the Queen dove from the highest spot, she went deep to the bottom of the pond and lost the crown. When she got back to the water's surface, she was no longer queen because she didn't have the crown. Then a man in a boat came to the pond and searched the bottom until he found the little crown. He took it back up to the bridge and gave it to a woman who wore it on her finger.
July 31, 2018
. Será que estou a extrapolar demasiado uma história que se pretenderia inicialmente simples e pars um público infantil? Talvez sim! Em todo o caso, é um bom livro, com uma história com vários níveis de interpretação (até para leitores de diferentes idades) e como ilustrações cuidadas, perceptíveis e bonitas.
September 6, 2022
Quando um objeto cai no meio do lago das rãs e uma delas o pega, ela é, por consequência, a Rainha das Rãs (afinal o objeto tinha formato de coroa). A partir daí, a monarca passa a fazer coisas de rainha segundo seus conselheiros: não molhar os pés, não se cansar, tem direito a uma folha espaçosa, comer apenas moscas, dar ordens e castigar quem não a obedece. Isso, até que algo acontece com sua coroa.
Esse é um livro curioso, senti uma crítica sutil à sociedade, que dá privilégios e poderes a alguém(s) só por causa de uma... coroa? Enfim, dá pra ter discussões inusitadas com as crianças, eu gostei!
As ilustrações são bem boas também!
Esse é um livro curioso, senti uma crítica sutil à sociedade, que dá privilégios e poderes a alguém(s) só por causa de uma... coroa? Enfim, dá pra ter discussões inusitadas com as crianças, eu gostei!
As ilustrações são bem boas também!
August 20, 2017
The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali (Author), Marco Soma, the illustrator. I include Soma because I am partial to well illustrated children's books and this is one of them. He has done a great job. The story is a wonderful one but one that I suspect is lost on children because it is a political story. Frogdom is a democracy but they soon name a queen who as monarch is demanding and offensive to the local frogs. They realize their mistake and take her crown away to once again find democracy. I am sure children just seen a cute frog story.
December 18, 2016
A perfectly simple, and yet perfect, picture book with a charming lesson about authority. The major illustrations of the frogs, with their coffee tables, jazz bands and light fittings are just brilliant, and the story – conveyed alongside minor pictures in black and white – is perfectly presented in just a couple of short paragraphs at a time. It only took five years for this to arrive in English, but it was worth the wait.
June 1, 2018
What is the lesson learned from this modern fable? I can find some implicit morals to this story, which likens itself to a French (actually Portuguese or Italian) art-deco frog version of Yertle the Turtle, but I stop short of calling this a fable. Adults might understand the ending more quickly than children. Texture, patterns, and shadow make these muddle-toned illustrations intriguingly superior.
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