Reviewed by Dannielle Viera
‘On Monday, the little green frog jumped onto a lily pad.’ Over the next six days, the frog made his way across the pond, one lily pad at a time, until he ‘aimed for the bank, his seventh jump’. However, he ended up in the water. Rather than giving up, the frog swam back to the beginning, shook himself off and started again. ‘He knew he would make it one day.’
Surprisingly, this extraordinarily simple yet inspiring book was written by eight-year-old Jack Beaumont and illustrated by his six-year-old brother, Harry. At first glance, the story seems to be a straightforward counting tale, as the frog jumps onto a new lily pad each day. But the intriguing twist comes when the frog falls into the water – his choice to start the leaping sequence again rather than just climb out of the pond reveals the importance of resilience and resoluteness.
Harry Beaumont’s brightly coloured collages combine charming hand-painted elements, clever cut-outs from marbled paper, and carefully placed letterpress stamps to support the storyline, which is aimed at kids aged three to six. The naivety of his illustration style is appealing to young eyes, as the gentle spreads are uncluttered and uncomplicated.
New
readers will enjoy springing through the story with the little green frog and
will cheer when he gives his goal another go. In the process, they will
discover the unique power of perseverance in the face of failure.
Amazing book! Lovely messaging and illustrations, my boys absolutely loved it. Highly recommend!
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