A triple-threat child-pleaser--in the pattern of The House That Jack Built, with a chorus to chime in on and a (genuine) surprise at the close. ""This is the turtle that slid into the pond and ate the snake that dropped from a branch and swallowed the fish that swam after the frog that was under the fly that climbed out of the water,"" we read midway through. ""How did the frog get away?"" And by now we're ready with the answer: ""Jump, frog, jump!"" But after the turtle has been caught in a net by some kids who haul it ashore (and the frog has jumped away); and the kids have then put a basket over the frog--what next? One of the three boys stealthily approaches the basket, whispering ""Sh-h-h!,"" and lifts it--quietly calling out. . . ""Jump, frog, jump!"" To have turned this traditional cumulative construct into a child's rescue-mission--and made something truly original--is a feat of creative imagination. The pictures--simply and broadly drawn, brightly and flatly colored--distill the action into a few strong, very funny, teasing images. Teasing images because there's always a hint of what's coming next--the snake grinning from an overhanging tree, the turtle crouching with baleful eye behind the waterside greenery. Immensely satisfying edge-of-the-seat fun for very small listeners. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2-A frog tries to catch a fly, but finds himself on the other end of the food chain in this simple cumulative tale by Robert Kalan (Greenwillow, 1995). As each new danger appears, the frog is left with one option: jump, frog, jump! The frog's final escape, however, requires the help of a boy. Young children will enjoy the suspense as the frog struggles to survive, and will join in with the male narrator in the repetitive text. A few simple sound effects are used, as well as occasional light background music. Sound quality is excellent. Page turn signals are offered on one side of the tape. This is a book that pre-schoolers, especially, will embrace for its simple plot and step-by-step action.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This cumulative tale about a hapless but high-hopping frog and his hairsbreadth escapes from danger features an infectious refrain -- 'How did the frog get away?' 'Jump, frog, jump!' -- and is accompanied by strong, early Byron Barton art in flat, primitive colors. The almost Gauguin-like double-page spreads hint superbly at each successive peril to come in this welcome reissue of a book with perennial appeal. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.