The Great Frog

The grounded magic of Miyazaki meets a timeless sibling adventure story in this account of legend, truth, and the overlap thereof. When Kit's little brother Peedie worries for the safety of a cluster of frog eggs they find by the pond, Kit tosses out an easy reassurance: the Great Frog will look after them. In the following days, though, Peedie's questions keep the tall tale growing bigger. Now, Kit tells him, the Great Frog has a horse in the stars and a castle on the moon, a fountain and a garden and a lasso. And pretty soon Peedie is sure the Great Frog will visit any day now. But when Kit at last comes clean that she made it all up, Peedie isn't upset like she feared. Just because something is a story, he points out, doesn't mean it's not true; and there are still protectors of the small in the world. Dreamy, timeless, and deeply philosophical in the way all four-year-olds are, The Great Frog deftly captures the bond between a big sister trying to get things right and a little brother who knows she can do no wrong. Katie Palazzola's thoughtful, funny text and lush illustrations are a treat for siblings, worriers, and nature lovers alike.