Adorable, even if it is about frogs, which I don't normally care much for.

Library copy. ( )

frogs and other creatures ( )

Mother Frog wakes up her 999 young ones for springtime. Well, all except the eldest brother, such a sleepyhead! Once awake, Big Brother leads the way as they rouse various reptiles and insects to enjoy springtime. One mysterious sleepyhead proves a particular challenge. The young frogs heave-ho him out of his hole, only to realize it's a big snake! Fortunately, it's a big sleepyhead of a snake. Their mother acts quickly to coax him back to sleep, and their turtle friend steps up to relocate him (by carrying the coiled-up pile on his back).

The story is balanced between concise text (2-4 sentences per page) and simple but striking images (against a mostly plain background). With dialogue conducive to story time participation, children could be invited to make the sound effects of snoring and popping out of the ground, and to pretend they are pulling the snake out of his hole with cries of "heave-ho!" The narrative also lends itself well to puppets (or stuffed animals or similar) that the children could be invited to wake up.

Song pairing: "Sleeping Bunnies" (substitute froggies!)

Daily life in frog families is a hectic time. Imagine dealing with 999 offspring! Thank goodness we don’t have to support 999 frogs until they graduate from college! ( )