Frog In Love...

Hello, wonderful readers. It’s time for (get ready for it): Jess to review a book! (Hooray!)

Tonight’s entry is by Max Velthuijs. Before this very moment, I’d never heard of him, and according to Google… he’s Dutch. And he’s famous – in the Netherlands. His worldwide fame is limited, it seems, to his Frog books.

There are several Frog books, starting with “Frog in Love” - which just so happens to be the book we’re going to review.

Let’s start with the art: it’s simple. One step above line drawings, it’s kind of sweet and generally works when considering the young audience the story is intended for. Sure, Hare looks more like a dog and Frog looks more like a lizard without a tail, but close enough.

So then there’s the story. Let’s recap it in three sentences:
1. Frog is in love – with Duck, it turns out.
2. Hare is a racist and says ‘you can’t be in love with a duck – you’re green and she’s white.’
3. Frog is in love anyway, and due to a near-fatal accident, Duck finds out and reciprocates.

The end.

That’s actually the story.

First of all, I’m not sure how many kids would understand that ‘in love’ makes you feel all weird and uninterested in your food.

Secondly, I’m fairly certain that if Frog was having an irregular heartbeat (his main symptom), he shouldn’t consult Hare who simply looks it up in some kind of catch-all book of illness and diagnoses it as ‘in love.’ Maybe visit Dr. Moose and get it confirmed that it’s NOT an arrhythmia.

Finally, why does Frog have to resort to doing an insane stunt to get Duck’s attention? All those lovely gifts he gives her are doing the trick nicely – no need for a huge Frog-endangering jump. Just pop a card on that bouquet of flowers and she’s yours. Why not at least TRY that, Frog? I guess it must be the lack of oxygen to your brain. You know, due to ‘being in love’ (arrhythmia).

Overall, this story is short and, despite its obvious plot-holes, still has a sort of funny charm.

I give it five bookmarks out of ten. Not great, not awful. Well worth the one dollar I got it for at the University of Toronto book sale.

Why a site just for book reviews?

Because. I'm a lazy, lazy blogger. But I think I know why!
I never know exactly what to write about. So...
If I have blogs for different reasons, I'm more likely to post stuff.
It's a theory. Maybe a bad one.

In my head, it works like this:
Once a week, I'll post a book review here.
I'll post an old-timey cookbook/advice book posting on "Always the Perfect Lady".
I'll post food and random stuff on "Musings of the Cookie Fairy".
And I'll post crafty and creative ideas on "The Felt Cupcake".

Ahhh. Order.
I love thee.

Anyway, let's give it a go, shall we?
Mondays are posting days for Jess Reviews a Book, so we'll see you back here then!