FRIBBITY RIBBIT!
In Johnson's debut children's book, pandemonium reigns when a boy chases a backyard frog through the house. At each turn of the page, another family member joins the long line of people chasing the green amphibian as he jumps from Grandpa's kitchen to the dog's bowl to the baby's train and eventually into the backyard again. Tilley (Riddle-icious) characterizes the frog as both sly and slightly manic, and her loose-lined, expressive watercolor illustrations create a slapstick mood. The frog pops out of Brother's sax, slides through the paint in Mama's studio and splashes through Sister's bath. Johnson's text incorporates plenty of high-energy activity and imitative sounds: "Frog in Dog's bowl./ Fribbity-ruff-/ ruff-/ ruff-/ ruff-ruff!/ Frog in Granny's office./ Fribbity-beep-beep-/ beeeeep!/ Ribbity-beep/ -ba-beep-/ beep!" Tilley adds visual impact to the text's sound effects by portraying the household's growing chaos. The youngest members of the family end up riding Grandpa's wheelchair like circus performers; the boy carries his father piggyback; and Mama wears the frightened cat on her head. By the end of the book, after pages of verbal tongue-twisters, readers may feel an urge to ribbit themselves. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)
