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Being Frog
From award-winning author and photographer April Pulley Sayre comes a stunning photographic look at the fascinating lives of frogs.
A frog is a being.
It is watching.
It is seeing…
Frogs are amazing creatures, and this book offers young readers an up-close and revealing peek at their everyday lives. Follow them from egg to tadpole to froglet crawling up onto land for the first time. Watch them resting on a favorite log, searching for food, and leaping through the air. And see how frogs are unique, individual beings with rich lives all their own in the wild.
A frog is a being.
It is watching.
It is seeing…
Frogs are amazing creatures, and this book offers young readers an up-close and revealing peek at their everyday lives. Follow them from egg to tadpole to froglet crawling up onto land for the first time. Watch them resting on a favorite log, searching for food, and leaping through the air. And see how frogs are unique, individual beings with rich lives all their own in the wild.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published February 4, 2020
2 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
April Pulley Sayre
106 books105 followersApril Pulley Sayre was an award-winning children’s book author of over 55 natural history books for children and adults. Her read-aloud nonfiction books, known for their lyricism and scientific precision, have been translated into French, Dutch, Japanese, and Korean. She is best known for pioneering literary ways to immerse young readers in natural events via creative storytelling and unusual perspectives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
February 22, 2021
“A frog / is a being.” April Pulley Sayre’s latest book for children begins with this simple but profound statement. Sayre is a biologist, photographer, and author. She combines all three of these skills to great effect in “Being Frog.” This is a Juvenile Nonfiction book with an unusual, poetic yet science-based approach to give readers an insider’s point-of-view of a frog’s life.
Sayre instantly pulls readers into the mindset of a real-life frog. The opening lines are paired with an especially stunning portrait taken from frog-throat up and centered around only the face as the rest of the body and background are blurred out, so that the focus zeroes in on the gorgeous black-striped metallic gold of a frog’s eye.
The pages of this book are instilled with a sense that it is a privilege to visit a world rarely seen in such detail by the average viewer. The simplicity of the text combined with frequent closeups of the various frog protagonists’ often-solemn expressions present a Zen-like air. In one clever pairing of photograph and text, a frog seemingly in meditation pose is accompanied by the lines “Does it ponder? / We don’t yet know.” There’s a hushed beauty to the author’s up-close-and-personal frog portraits that makes the reader want to hold their breath for the short time it takes to page through this lovely book, loathe to disturb the delicate peace of the frogs in their idyllic home.
Content that can be truly enjoyed by all ages is rare, but adults can find much to admire in the sophistication of the lush photography and the reverence for the subject that doesn’t stoop to saccharine overtones or anthropomorphism. Sayre’s book maintains a scientific view while reminding us that even though a frog’s mind is mostly a mystery (and least so far!), a frog is still a “being”—a living breathing creature in its own right, and not just a data point representative of a species.
This picture book is catalogued under the “Juvenile” label for slightly older readers, rather than the usual “Easy” label, but younger children shouldn’t have too much trouble understanding the main concept of appreciating a familiar but often overlooked creature in its natural habitat. Children and adults alike can experience the sense of playfulness and wonder evoked by its clever rhyming and its author’s knack for capturing hidden beauty. “Being Frog” is a perfect Storytime book. The occasional onomatopoeia and gradual changes in font size used to indicate louder sounds combined with its overall gentle cadence beg to be read aloud and its pictures to be shared.
Read this one literally cover to cover. Those who pay attention to the information on the backflap will find the author’s website listed, where readers can hear for themselves the actual “glunk” of the Great Lakes frogs from the photographs. Don’t skip the fascinating author’s note that sheds light on the details of her process, the backstory of gaining the frogs’ trust to take photographs from so close-up, and the names of the frogs pictured. Sayre also shares more of her thoughts on recognizing frogs as individual beings: “A scientist who goes out and looks at, tags, or tests frogs rarely gets to know a frog as an individual. The scientist is looking for things about frogs that apply to all frogs.”
This is a excellent book to show budding scientists a way to respect and appreciate nature—especially its more vulnerable, delicate species—without being preachy or making it feel like homework. There is a “Resources for Further Exploration” in the back for those who can’t get enough frogs.
If you have never found yourself admiring a frog or even spared one a second thought, you might find yourself seeking out your own local frog havens to give these creatures another look—hopefully with as much reverence as Sayre has shown.
READ THIS IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR:
• Books for children who like animal protagonists
• Books that encourage compassion towards animals
• A quieter, but not boring, kind of storybook
• Books for photography fans and students both younger and older
• Books that inspire the need to explore your own backyard or local pond
• Books for beginner biologists
• A much-needed break for adults from the usual Storytime content
• Books that are actually fun AND educational
• Books for those who are simply fans of the unusual
• Books for frog fans
-- Candice W.
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
Sayre instantly pulls readers into the mindset of a real-life frog. The opening lines are paired with an especially stunning portrait taken from frog-throat up and centered around only the face as the rest of the body and background are blurred out, so that the focus zeroes in on the gorgeous black-striped metallic gold of a frog’s eye.
The pages of this book are instilled with a sense that it is a privilege to visit a world rarely seen in such detail by the average viewer. The simplicity of the text combined with frequent closeups of the various frog protagonists’ often-solemn expressions present a Zen-like air. In one clever pairing of photograph and text, a frog seemingly in meditation pose is accompanied by the lines “Does it ponder? / We don’t yet know.” There’s a hushed beauty to the author’s up-close-and-personal frog portraits that makes the reader want to hold their breath for the short time it takes to page through this lovely book, loathe to disturb the delicate peace of the frogs in their idyllic home.
Content that can be truly enjoyed by all ages is rare, but adults can find much to admire in the sophistication of the lush photography and the reverence for the subject that doesn’t stoop to saccharine overtones or anthropomorphism. Sayre’s book maintains a scientific view while reminding us that even though a frog’s mind is mostly a mystery (and least so far!), a frog is still a “being”—a living breathing creature in its own right, and not just a data point representative of a species.
This picture book is catalogued under the “Juvenile” label for slightly older readers, rather than the usual “Easy” label, but younger children shouldn’t have too much trouble understanding the main concept of appreciating a familiar but often overlooked creature in its natural habitat. Children and adults alike can experience the sense of playfulness and wonder evoked by its clever rhyming and its author’s knack for capturing hidden beauty. “Being Frog” is a perfect Storytime book. The occasional onomatopoeia and gradual changes in font size used to indicate louder sounds combined with its overall gentle cadence beg to be read aloud and its pictures to be shared.
Read this one literally cover to cover. Those who pay attention to the information on the backflap will find the author’s website listed, where readers can hear for themselves the actual “glunk” of the Great Lakes frogs from the photographs. Don’t skip the fascinating author’s note that sheds light on the details of her process, the backstory of gaining the frogs’ trust to take photographs from so close-up, and the names of the frogs pictured. Sayre also shares more of her thoughts on recognizing frogs as individual beings: “A scientist who goes out and looks at, tags, or tests frogs rarely gets to know a frog as an individual. The scientist is looking for things about frogs that apply to all frogs.”
This is a excellent book to show budding scientists a way to respect and appreciate nature—especially its more vulnerable, delicate species—without being preachy or making it feel like homework. There is a “Resources for Further Exploration” in the back for those who can’t get enough frogs.
If you have never found yourself admiring a frog or even spared one a second thought, you might find yourself seeking out your own local frog havens to give these creatures another look—hopefully with as much reverence as Sayre has shown.
READ THIS IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR:
• Books for children who like animal protagonists
• Books that encourage compassion towards animals
• A quieter, but not boring, kind of storybook
• Books for photography fans and students both younger and older
• Books that inspire the need to explore your own backyard or local pond
• Books for beginner biologists
• A much-needed break for adults from the usual Storytime content
• Books that are actually fun AND educational
• Books for those who are simply fans of the unusual
• Books for frog fans
-- Candice W.
Click here to find the book at Prince William Public Libraries.
December 8, 2020
What's it like to be a frog?
Being Frog tells the story of a frog's life from a frog's point-of-view.
"A frog
is a being.
It is watching.
It is seeing."
Gentle rhyme.
Photographs that peek, oh-so inobtrusively, into the frog's world.
Being Frog tells the story of a frog's life from a frog's point-of-view.
"A frog
is a being.
It is watching.
It is seeing."
Gentle rhyme.
Photographs that peek, oh-so inobtrusively, into the frog's world.
May 6, 2020
Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2020. $18. 9781534428812
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
With her signature photographs and sparse poetry, Sayre’s introduces us to the world of frogs.
Her back matter notes are a nice mix of personal observations and frog facts. She even talks about individual frogs and catches one mid-leap!
Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
With her signature photographs and sparse poetry, Sayre’s introduces us to the world of frogs.
Her back matter notes are a nice mix of personal observations and frog facts. She even talks about individual frogs and catches one mid-leap!
Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
September 2, 2020
Love me some froggies. <3
July 17, 2021
Green frogs have long been my favorite member of the true frog family, so the subjects of these brilliant photos are dear to my heart. I have hung out with and photographed many green frogs, myself.
The author's note explains her process of observing these frogs and making the book, and encourages the consideration of wild animals as individual beings with each their own characteristics, rather than just a group of things.
"wondering and imagining are a part of science”
The spare, rhyming text asks questions,
inviting curiosity, thought, the pondering of lives other than our own. Sayre's work nurtures a closer look and caring perspective toward nature and all life.
Watch, wonder, imagine, inquire.
In other words, I think it's wonderful.
“A frog has a life.
A frog is a being.”
The author's note explains her process of observing these frogs and making the book, and encourages the consideration of wild animals as individual beings with each their own characteristics, rather than just a group of things.
"wondering and imagining are a part of science”
The spare, rhyming text asks questions,
inviting curiosity, thought, the pondering of lives other than our own. Sayre's work nurtures a closer look and caring perspective toward nature and all life.
Watch, wonder, imagine, inquire.
In other words, I think it's wonderful.
“A frog has a life.
A frog is a being.”
June 16, 2020
This extended poem perfectly explores the specific individual and groups of frogs who are neighbors of the author/photographer. It is a glowing and informative revelation about the lives and life cycles of local green frog (that's their species, not just a descriptor). By Sayre's report in back matter this is fairly mellow species that, given time and familiarity, tolerates her presence as harmless, perhaps (but, as she notes, not certainly) with only occasional reactions. Her commentss and resources in the back are welcome invitations for young readers to calmly sort out and appreciate both the fantasized characters of various animals (frogs, in this case) while fully observing the actual animals in the wild. Her work provides proof that "investigating" can be non-invasive and paired with authoritative resources to learn more, including finding more questions to ask.
February 13, 2020
Absolutely stunning photography and gorgeous book design highlight this book and the accompanying poetic text is a pleasure to read aloud as well. The author's note is very informative as well, discussing the photographic process, discussing assumptions versus observation in the scientific process and suggests a few additional resources.
A perfect book for young nature lovers and a visual treat for readers of all ages!
A perfect book for young nature lovers and a visual treat for readers of all ages!
July 9, 2020
The photographs of the frogs are gorgeous but the text is sparse and a little strange. After reading the author's note in the back, and discovering how obsessed she is with frogs, it made a little more sense to me. But the pictures alone are worth studying.
October 1, 2020
I loved the gorgeous photos. They are so crisp and lifelike, you feel as if the frogs could jump from the page. I also loved that the text reminded us, simple and straightforwardly, that a frog is a being, it has a life and essential role to play in nature.
February 2, 2020
Simple text and stunning photography offer revealing glimpses into the everyday lives of frogs.
January 6, 2021
Rhyming factual text and gorgeous photographs make this book the perfect read or read aloud for those interested in learning more about frogs.
Read
March 9, 2020This poetic rumination on frog life features stunning photos taken by the author and wonderful vocabulary words (spelunk, lunges, gaze, mossy) making this a great choice for early literacy storytimes. In her author's note, Sayre explains that she and her husband often observe the local frogs and have learned to tell some of them apart. She gives the differences between this type of anecdotal evidence and the broader evidence that scientists use to study frogs as a species. This is a great book to include in STEAM units (particularly about frogs) and I love the combination of poetry and science as the book considers frogs as living beings, as animals, not just as characters in a story. Hand to lovers of science and poetry alongside books by Joyce Sidman.
March 17, 2021
I love, love, love Sayre's books! They are perfect for cuddling up and looking and thinking about. I appreciated the author's note telling about frogs she has observed and the difference between anecdotal evidence and data a scientist gathers when studying She shows the frogs as individual beings, which is not the usual objective science presentation. Great stuff.
November 11, 2021
Definitely joining the storytime rotation!
March 3, 2021
While not loaded with scientific facts (admittedly by the author), this book offers an in-depth and fresh look at frogs and leads the reader to think about them in a different way. The pictures are amazing. I really appreciate the author's note in the back. She points out that her photography, observations, and experiences do not equate to scientific studies. However, much can be learned about frogs by what she shares in this book. Seriously, the pictures, though! They are just fantastic and truly tell the story of a frog's life!
January 27, 2021
I have selfishly set aside one of the newest nonfiction titles to cross the youth department desk as it is about the most joyous of topics--frogs.
Being Frog is a picture book narrative with real-world photographs of various frogs doing frog things, like "Waiting. Watching. Scanning. Seeing." The author notes in the back material that children are used to frogs being characters. Frogs in stories are often "basically a human in a frog suit." The author wished to introduce frogs as they actually are to young children. There are plenty of questions to get a child thinking, and the back matter has several resources if your little one loves frogs just as much as I do.
I can't wait to read it for one of our spring Storytimes.
Being Frog is a picture book narrative with real-world photographs of various frogs doing frog things, like "Waiting. Watching. Scanning. Seeing." The author notes in the back material that children are used to frogs being characters. Frogs in stories are often "basically a human in a frog suit." The author wished to introduce frogs as they actually are to young children. There are plenty of questions to get a child thinking, and the back matter has several resources if your little one loves frogs just as much as I do.
I can't wait to read it for one of our spring Storytimes.
February 3, 2021
The life of a frog comes to life! Right in front of our eyes, we see what frogs experience in daily life.
Not quite as spectacular as Bloom Bloom! and Raindrops Roll.
Not quite as spectacular as Bloom Bloom! and Raindrops Roll.
March 15, 2020
This gorgeous photo-filled picture book demonstrates that frogs are alive and that frogs are beings. Frogs have favorite things like we do, favorite logs and favorite rocks to sit on. Frogs hunt for food, jumping and leaping. They hide in the shadows and swim in the water. Frogs may have memories of when they were tadpoles. Perhaps they head on journeys over rocks before stopping to sun themselves for a bit. They might sit and think, letting time roll past, slow or fast. All just being a frog.
In her author note, Sayre speaks to the anthropomorphizing of animals in books for children and the importance of seeing animals as different but also important beings on their own. Inspired by her neighborhood frogs, she captured their days and wonders aloud about what they think, remember and do. It’s a picture book distinctly from a human point of view, wondering about nature and giving space for those moments of though for both the reader and the frog alike.
The photographs are stunning, filled with vibrant colors of yellows and green. The frog is center stage, eyes bulging and occasionally leaping towards its prey. The motions are captured rather like anyone at a pond sees frogs jump with glimpses of extended legs almost out of sight.
Thoughtful and respectful of nature and our frog neighbors. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
In her author note, Sayre speaks to the anthropomorphizing of animals in books for children and the importance of seeing animals as different but also important beings on their own. Inspired by her neighborhood frogs, she captured their days and wonders aloud about what they think, remember and do. It’s a picture book distinctly from a human point of view, wondering about nature and giving space for those moments of though for both the reader and the frog alike.
The photographs are stunning, filled with vibrant colors of yellows and green. The frog is center stage, eyes bulging and occasionally leaping towards its prey. The motions are captured rather like anyone at a pond sees frogs jump with glimpses of extended legs almost out of sight.
Thoughtful and respectful of nature and our frog neighbors. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
March 2, 2020
As an understanding of each living thing on our planet grows and is known, our perspective shifts. We come to view these individuals as more than their name suggests. They respond to each other and to us in distinct manners.
If the opportunity presents itself to study and interact with a specific individual, their essence is revealed. If you have not been fortunate enough to experience this in your own life yet, the newest nonfiction picture book by masterful author and photographer April Pulley Sayre reveals this beautifully. Being Frog (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 4, 2020 is about developing a relationship on a sensory and personal level with the world around you.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
If the opportunity presents itself to study and interact with a specific individual, their essence is revealed. If you have not been fortunate enough to experience this in your own life yet, the newest nonfiction picture book by masterful author and photographer April Pulley Sayre reveals this beautifully. Being Frog (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 4, 2020 is about developing a relationship on a sensory and personal level with the world around you.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
March 28, 2020
Spring is here, and thankfully, we are able to get out and go for walks in the neighborhood (maintaining safe, social distance from others). In our neighborhood, we have several ponds and I love watching the frogs. Often they jump in the water with a splash as I approach. This lovely picture book uses gorgeous, close-up photographs and spare, lyrical text to celebrate the joys of watching frogs. There is also an author's note at the back giving more detail on the frog's in her neighborhood and resources for further study. It really is a great way to relieve the stress of the times to get outside and observe nature. This book will help readers take a closer look at frogs.
November 27, 2020
Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Initially, I was fooled by the simplicity of the text and the photos. I mistakenly thought, “I’ve read this book before.”
Being Frog snuck up on me. The brilliance of the colors, frogs like iridescent jewels in a sun-dappled kingdom, made me long to find frogs near me to visit and study. I fervently hope this jewel of a book does the same for all of the children fortunate enough to encounter it.
Being Frog snuck up on me. The brilliance of the colors, frogs like iridescent jewels in a sun-dappled kingdom, made me long to find frogs near me to visit and study. I fervently hope this jewel of a book does the same for all of the children fortunate enough to encounter it.
January 6, 2021
Lush photo illustrations and a charming, rhyming text and an author's note with study resources round out the non-fiction book Being Frog by April Pulley Sayer. The author's photos of frogs up close and personal will enchant reader and listener alike. The descriptive author's notes will also inform. For ages 3 - 9.
January 9, 2021
The author observes frogs weekly at a local pond and has gotten to know them by their appearance. She shares her fascination of this creature, as well as stunning photographs, in this new poetic, narrative nonfiction book. “Does it ponder? We don’t yet know. Does frog time fly? Or trail, snail-slow?
A beautiful book. There is a slight bibliography for further reading.
A beautiful book. There is a slight bibliography for further reading.
January 14, 2021
This might be a five star-I won’t know until I can read it to a group of children. Colorful photos combine with rhyming text to invite young readers to contemplate what a real frog is thinking. I might pair this with a fictional frog story for a frog storytime or with Lisa Jobe’s Can I keep it? for a storytime encouraging empathy for animals.
February 27, 2020
A brilliant gem of a book. All of April Pulley Sayre's books are amazing. What's unique about this one (besides her one-of-a-kind voice) is the way her text and photos together pull readers in to the experience of being a frog. Joyful!
June 8, 2020
This poem imagining the inner-musings of a frog is accompanied by the type of stunning, intimate, educational photographs that can only come from April Pulley Sayre. I only hope to live to see the day that photography in children's books is respected as an art form and not just "informational."
June 10, 2020
A beautiful picture book illustrated with gorgeous photographs of frogs in their natural environment. This is a simple and interesting story with two pages of extra information about frogs in the back of the book.
July 3, 2020
The art involved in the photography of this book is astounding. The text, while factual, is a poem. I really enjoyed the author's now at the back as well, explaining the differences between the author's observation, scientific exploration, and fictional frog references.
December 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sold on how good it was until I read the authors note. The Author's note makes it! You learn so much from her insight! Very well thought out, well photographed very informative!
December 26, 2020
Wow, this book is incredible. The pictures are so vivid and crisp, I felt like the frogs were going to jump right off the page! I love how this book just tells the story of green frogs living in their pond--simple, concise, and effective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews