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Author: Anne Toole
Illustrator: Unstated
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 978-1-4787-6413-7

The little frog was very sad.
He had lost his croak and no friends he had,
Because bragging about his wonderful croak had made the other frogs mad.”
Anne Toole writes in her children’s book, The Frog that Lost Its Croak.


This unnumbered twenty-six-page paperback targets children ages three to seven years old or those learning to read. With no scary scenes, it is a story about a frog that has lost its voice and learns how not to be boastful. With black writing against white boxed-backgrounds on one side of the pages, the opposite sides usually contain crisp, colorful illustrations that follow the storyline.

In this short tale told in rhyme, a loud, noisy frog can no longer croak. His father suggests he talk to his mom, who tells him to take some time, rest his voice, and his croak will come back. He becomes sad when he recognizes he has no friends because he was always bragging about the noises he could make. It is when he listens to the new sounds around him that he realizes he was focusing on himself, and his voice comes back.

This is a light-hearted reminder that teaches children not to tout their horn about what they can do but stop and listen to others around them, noticing their qualities and characteristics. I like how the story flows and engages young readers through the eyes of a frog that is taught an important lesson.

Although charming, some of the rhymes are a stretch if read out loud, but they work overall. There are quite a few punctuation errors throughout the pages that should be corrected.

After teaching first grade for thirty years, Toole retired, only to work as an ESOL teacher for three years. Having written other children’s books, she travels extensively and lives in South Carolina. No information is offered regarding illustrator.

With the Amazon site being so vague and uninformative, it would be nice to explain the story in detail and give the author and illustrator’s biographies. Having cadence in rhyming would make the book easier to read.

If you are looking for a story that teaches not to be boastful and think about others, this rhyming tale of a frog learning a wise lesson would be enjoyed.

Thanks to Bookpleasures and Outskirts Press for offering this book to review for my honest opinion.