“TOO MANY FROGS!” by Ann Hassett and John Hassett, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, July 11, 2011, $16.99 (ages 4-8)
What would you do if there were too many frogs in your house? That’s the problem facing Nana Quimby in “Too Many Frogs!”
Nana is making a cake when she hears a damp sound coming from her cellar. She opens the door and finds it filled with water. A plumber fixes the leak, but after he leaves, Nana hears a thump at the cellar door. She opens it, and 10 frogs hop across her floor.
Nana puts the frogs in a goldfish bowl, but another thump at the cellar door brings 20 more. Into cups of water they go, but another thump brings 30 more. Nan tries pots and pans next, but runs out of room when 40 more come through the cellar door. Nana tries the sink and the washing machine and finally the bathtub, as the numbers of frogs seem to grow exponentially.
The only hope, she decides, is to fill the cellar back with water and put the frogs there. And that’s just what she does.
This delightful tale comes full circle as Nana realizes the folly of fixing her leak in the basement. Kids will giggle aloud as they watch frogs hop across Nana’s floor. Especially imaginative children will probably come up with their own solutions to Nana’s problem as well. Whimsical illustrations in pastel tones help “Too Many Frogs!” play out with great fun.
