HEY, FROG!

Presented as original but with folkloric antecedents, this tale of a greedy frog who swallows up every drop of water features a cast of stylized South African creatures, and an informal tone: “ ‘Hey Frog,’ they shouted. ‘Unzip those lips before you pop!’ ” But Frog will not, despite the best efforts of Lion, who tries to scratch him, Crocodile, who tries to scare him, Crow, who hopes that his insults will provoke a retort, and other thirsty beasts, all with their own plans. Then, in yet another case of information trumping blunt force, the Eels, who alone know Frog’s weakness, tickle him till he roars with mirth, releasing the pent-up flood. Grobler (Doctor Me Di Cin, 2001, etc.) could have done a little homework, but despite the lack of a source note, the whimsically clever art in this import makes a lively alternative to Susan L. Roth’s Biggest Frog in Australia (1996) or Susan Nunes’s Tiddalik the Frog (1989)—and comes to a less violent end than Pete Seeger’s Foolish Frog (1973). (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)