In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • An Army of Frogs by Trevor Pryce
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Pryce, Trevor . An Army of Frogs; by Trevor Pryce with Joel Naftali; illus. by Sanford Greene. Amulet/Abrams, 2013. 272p. ISBN 978-1-4197-0172-6 $15.95 R Gr. 5-7.

The lush, fertile Amphibilands have been hidden in the peaceful Veil since the end of the last frog/scorpion war, when the turtle king cast a spell to protect the frog kingdom from any invading forces. Darel, a young wood frog, has grown up with the stories of that last war and chafes under the current peace, longing to prove himself a fighter and live up to his father's legendary warrior status. He gets his chance when an army of scorpions, helped by the evil spider queen, Jarrah, manages to breach the outer layer of the Veil and kidnap Darel's best pal. The two make it out of the scorpion camp alive, but war has come to Amphibilands and it's up to Darel to inform the turtle king and alert the others. Though the violence of the battles puts it more in Redwall than Tale of Despereaux territory, this imaginative adventure has all the details that fans of animal fantasies will enjoy, including the pollywog toys sold at the frog market and the fact that misbehaving tadpoles are "ponded" rather than grounded. The plot follows a comfortably familiar trajectory, with Darel as the underestimated hero whose determination and heart save the day. Greene's color full-page illustrations have the richly saturated look of Marvel comic books, and there's a superhero feel to the various fighting poses Darel and his pals take. The wide-eyed, mottled skinned frogs and the demonic-like scorpions cut impressive figures, but the main villain, Jarrah, is out of place, her curvaceous human female characteristics making a greater impact than her spidery component. Nonetheless, followers of Erin Hunter's Seekers and Warriors series will find this frog tale a fine addition to their animal adventures. [End Page 527]

...

pdf

Share