Growing Frogs

Narrated by Effie Cahill, this iconographic-animated adaptation of author Vivian French and illustrator Alison Bartlett's 2000 picture book offers a child-friendly exploration of the lifecycle of frogs, geared toward ages 5-8. At her mother's suggestion, a young girl reads a book about the metamorphosis of frogs, after which the pair decide to embark on their own real-life experiment: taking the jelly-shelled frogspawn from a nearby lake, adding stones and pond water to an aquarium, and observing the transformative process. Chronicling the biological changes—from eggs to tadpoles to frogs—Growing Frogs is an engaging science title for children about the wonder of nature (ending with the frogs being returned to their original locale) that also touches on scientific caretaking responsibilities (helping to clean the habitat, etc.). Also featuring “Did You Know?” facts (male frogs croak to attract females, and as frogs grow lungs their gills disappear), this is definitely recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)