Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2019 Photo-illustrator and author Sayre introduces green frogs using a combination of crisp-edged photographs and succinct, rhyming text that never anthropomorphizes. Spreads are composed of short text sections and several related photos. For example, First egg, / then tadpole. / Two legs. Four. / A tiny froglet / climbed ashore is accompanied by five color photographs, each depicting a developmental stage. She emphasizes that these creatures are alive (A frog / is a being), neither human nor toy, and resists the urge to assume intent or motive (Does it ponder? / We don't yet know). An informative author's note describes her creative process (photographing four hours per day for several months), explains how to tell males and females apart (a male green frog has a yellow throat and an ear disc larger than its eye), and recounts some personal experiences with the frogs she observed. While Sayre doesn't include typical report factoids (body parts, habitat, size), the accessible text and spectacular illustrations make this a stunning first look at these amphibians. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2019 PreS-Gr 3—A frog is a living being with habits and needs. The author's spare verse walks the reader through detailed photographs of a frog's typical day, including lots of waiting, swimming, and leaping. The text does a good job of evoking and contextualizing a frog's life without overwhelming readers with excessive information by using simple rhymes. Notable omissions, including a frog's diet, make this best for a very young audience rather than for research projects. Detailed photographs show frogs in their natural habitats and reveal the textures and tones of a pond, a plant, or a rock. The photos could encourage crowd participation in a storytime setting; the storyteller could ask very young children to find the frog on the page, list the plants or environments they see, or describe what the frog is doing (swimming, sitting, climbing). While resources for further exploration are limited to three websites, the inclusion of a resource for recorded frog songs and calls is a unique feature. VERDICT A beautifully photographed nonfiction book suitable for read-aloud.—Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Library, Montevallo, AL - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.