Follow That Frog! by Philip C. Stead (review)

Stead, Philip C. Follow That Frog!; illus. by Matthew Cordell. Porter/Holiday House, 2021 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823444267 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823448944 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* 5-8 yrs

At a persistent knock on the door, young Sadie tries to get Aunt Josephine out of bed to answer it—but Aunt Josephine is quite the character, insisting on it being a "vacuum salesman" or suitor, and then launching into her story of how she followed a giant, carnivorous frog around the world after her "delicate beauty caught the eye of the admiral's ridiculous son," who, "as he stood transfixed," was eaten by said frog. Aunt J, from bed and partially without removing her sleep mask, recounts chasing the frog through the desert, the Panama Canal, the Canary Islands, Egypt, and the Taj Mahal. She concedes that she may never find the elusive amphibian, to which Sadie replies, "Well, Aunt J, there's always hope"—and there is, as the general's son knocks on the door through the frog's mouth outside. This quirky readaloud is accentuated by Matthew Cordell's scribbly pen lines and watercolor, showing great detail in Aunt Josephine's grand adventures and adding background bonuses that are bound to make rereads interesting. Aunt J is comically verbose in her stories, and younger viewers will likely pick up on some new vocabulary through her tale. This hilarious story would be well suited for a lapsit storytime or any situation that requires a good laugh.