Follow That Frog!

November 23, 2020
In this collaboration by the creators of Special Delivery, intrepid pilot Sadie turns the spotlight over to her aunt Josephine, a bonneted dowager whose intrepid spirit is undimmed by age. She’s still in bed when a loud knock sounds on the door one morning. “It could be a vacuum salesman,” Aunt Josephine calls from under her quilt. “Or more likely, a suitor. But I tell you this! I am quite satisfied with the state of my carpets. And my days of romance are but a memory.” (Stead excels at this particular brand of palaver.) This reminds her, naturally, of the giant frog that swallowed an admiring admiral’s son when she was “blissfully bivouacked in the jungles of Peru” in her youth. Feeling obliged to catalog the frog—if not to save the boy—she chases it across the world, visiting the Canary Islands (littered with small yellow birds) and the Taj Mahal, accumulating a menagerie of companions along the way. Cordell’s loopy, frenetic drawings savor her journey’s every inanity: sailing a bathtub, riding a whale. The waning British Empire tone of Stead’s story bears a family resemblance to Hoban’s Captain Najork books, and the punch line feels a bit abrupt. Still, any vehicle for Cordell’s sweet-tempered mayhem is a treat. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary.

January 1, 2021
Following Special Delivery (2015) and The Only Fish in the Sea (2017), a third adventure from Stead and Cordell finds young Sadie playing a supporting role to elderly Aunt Josephine, whose tales of past adventures drive the action. Aunt J directs Sadie to ignore the persistent knocking. "It could be a vacuum salesman. Or more likely, a suitor....I have been the world over, Sadie, and today--I will sleep past noon." But instead of sleeping, she spins a yarn. Beginning with her work as a 9-year-old member of a multiracial scientific team in "the jungles of Peru," Aunt Josephine recounts sighting a giant frog as it swallows the young son (smitten with her) of the recently deceased expedition leader. The frog's escape begets Aunt J's around-the-world journey. "For though I didn't care much for the admiral's son, I do abhor a job unfinished. And it was my job to catalog that frog!" Cordell's visual drollery embellishes the exploits, which include Josephine's dog, a rhea, a parrot, a tortoise, an ordinary frog, and a few canaries. Thought-bubble vignettes show the group at Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and the Roman Colosseum. Over years, a pith-helmeted Josephine hikes, bikes, dives, and pilots a helicopter--all in exuberant but vain pursuit of that frog. Cordell provides hand-lettered display type for some text along with a houseful of domestic animals and visual clues to Josephine's and Sadie's prior adventures. A final page lets readers discover the source of that knocking. Hint: it's no vacuum salesman. Both Sadie and Aunt J present White. More female-powered action from an inspired creative team. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 24, 2021

K-Gr 4-Large, handwritten block onomatopoeic words will draw in readers' eyes while perusing this picture book. The story opens with Sadie and her Aunt Josephine, who are white, hearing a knock at the door. Aged Aunt Josephine, who is lying in bed, yells, "Close the curtains, Sadie! Turn out the lights! It could be a vacuum salesman. Or more likely, a suitor." Stating that she has earned a rest, Aunt Josephine launches into a tall tale-like account of her life accomplishments and travel stints cataloging amphibians. During this time, a potential suitor became mesmerized with Aunt Jo's beauty: "And as he stood transfixed, he was suddenly, swiftly...swallowed by a giant frog." The remainder of the book details a chase after the frog across several continents on interesting vehicles like a bathtub, rhea, and a whale, to name a few. The book culminates in an ending young readers won't see coming, and one that will certainly illicit more than one or two giggles. The vocabulary is complex, which will likely prompt some questions and discussion. Cordell's illustrations, done in pen, ink, and watercolor, are just the right level of humor for the narrative. VERDICT A must purchase for libraries looking to add an extra bit of silliness to their picture book collection.-Tracy Cronce, Stevens Point Pub. Sch. District, WI

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Sadie and her sensational Aunt Josephine are back for a third adventure (Special Delivery, rev. 3/15; The Only Fish in the Sea, rev. 7/17), which starts with a knock at the door: "Close the curtains, Sadie! And turn out the lights! It could be a vacuum salesman. Or more likely, a suitor." After a lifetime of traveling the world, Aunt J declares she simply wants rest, but the thought of these previous escapades sends her reminiscing about her time as a nine-year-old in Peru cataloging frogs for science. With Cordell's well-suited scratchy pen-and-ink lines and soft watercolor washes, the story Aunt Josephine relates to Sadie (when a giant frog swallows one of Josephine's admirers, she hurries after it to make sure the amphibian specimen is catalogued properly) plays out hilariously in giant thought bubbles while a morning breakfast-in-bed routine with Sadie carries on in the background. Text and art duel with each other to make the antics more and more outlandish, and every page-turn yields an unexpected and wonderfully ridiculous plot development. Josephine finds herself headed toward the Panama Canal, where she boards a bathtub and tries to heed her own grandmother's final words ("If nothing else, Josephine, see Paris") but winds up stranded on the Canary Islands after an encounter with some pirates. The story goes on to include a whale ride and more, but Aunt Josephine notes she has yet to see Paris or find that giant frog. All the while, someone keeps knocking at the door, where the perfect ending awaits on the other side.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2021
Sadie and her sensational Aunt Josephine are back for a third adventure (Special Delivery, rev. 3/15; The Only Fish in the Sea, rev. 7/17), which starts with a knock at the door: "Close the curtains, Sadie! And turn out the lights! It could be a vacuum salesman. Or more likely, a suitor." After a lifetime of traveling the world, Aunt J declares she simply wants rest, but the thought of these previous escapades sends her reminiscing about her time as a nine-year-old in Peru cataloging frogs for science. With Cordell's well-suited scratchy pen-and-ink lines and soft watercolor washes, the story Aunt Josephine relates to Sadie (when a giant frog swallows one of Josephine's admirers, she hurries after it to make sure the amphibian specimen is catalogued properly) plays out hilariously in giant thought bubbles while a morning breakfast-in-bed routine with Sadie carries on in the background. Text and art duel with each other to make the antics more and more outlandish, and every page-turn yields an unexpected and wonderfully ridiculous plot development. Josephine finds herself headed toward the Panama Canal, where she boards a bathtub and tries to heed her own grandmother's final words ("If nothing else, Josephine, see Paris") but winds up stranded on the Canary Islands after an encounter with some pirates. The story goes on to include a whale ride and more, but Aunt Josephine notes she has yet to see Paris or find that giant frog. All the while, someone keeps knocking at the door, where the perfect ending awaits on the other side. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 1, 2020
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* As young Sadie takes Aunt Josephine her morning tea, she is startled by a loud ""Knock Knock,"" announcing someone at the door. Aunt J tells her not to answer it as it's probably a carpet salesman or another suitor, and she just can't be bothered. The elderly woman then commences to tell a long, convoluted, and very funny tale of her first suitor and how she lost him to a large frog. Her story, which began in Peru, continues around the world through places like Patagonia, Egypt, India, Rome, and the Alps and involves several forms of transportation, such as a ""reluctant"" tortoise, a helicopter, a whale, a boat, and a bathtub. Humorously, Sadie, a dog, and other household creatures--frazzled chickens, some mice, a pig, and a squirrel--follow the woman's tale by watching her large thought bubbles, which appear on many pages, as though they're watching a movie. Cordell's illustrations have the loose, but quite detailed, feel of Quentin Blake, and depict Aunt J's untidy home filled with memorabilia. The font size changes, depending on the knocking, shouting, barking, grunting, or crowing going on at each moment, which adds liveliness to an already vigorously engaging story. A fit ending will please children who will be enthralled with the action and entertainment Aunt J's tale brings.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.