cover image It's a Frog's Life!

It's a Frog's Life!

Steve Parker. Reader's Digest Young Families, $9.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-1-57584-250-9

An accessible scrapbook look and the frog narrators conversational tone distinguish Parkers (the Creepy Creatures series) insider view of how the green amphibians stay moist, reproduce, avoid predators and find food. Text that looks hand-lettered, photos (drawings tipped as if with pseudo-photo corners) and botanical drawings of a snowdrop, a heron feather and a lily padmeant to appear as if taped to the pagescreate a varied format (though the colors and reproductions look a bit textbook-ish). One sequence of photos shows Greedy, an African bush squeaker, making a fly disappear: Hunh! I can do that tongue trick, too! scoffs the narrator. The books format and Parkers jokiness and plentiful exclamation points are a nod to Amelias Notebook, but this ones clearly for frog fans. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)