Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Dallas Public Library | + PRESCHOOL - LIVINGSTON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | LIVINGSTON | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Jogging is the thing to do in town, and Finklehopper Frog is eager to join in. To mark the occasion, Finkle finds an extra special jogging suit then hits the road. He hippied and he hoppied and he sang a sweet ker-chog,until he started wondering is THIS the way to jog? Finklehopper'¬?s doubts grow until one smart bunny helps Finkle discover that being part of the crowd doesn'¬?t mean casting aside your own froggy style. Catchy, rhythmic prose and peppy vernacular are paired with bright illustrations of a distinctive animal community in what is sure to become an all-time read-aloud favorite.Recipient of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio'¬?s Gold Award. Lively diversity title. Highlights physical exercise for young children.
Author Notes
Before becoming a writer, IRENE LIVINGSTON taught school and raised three talented daughters. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
BRIAN LIES has illustrated more than a dozen children's books, including New York Times bestseller Bats at the Beach. He lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Finklehopper Frog wants to join the exercise crowd. Dressed in his new jogging suit that's almost electric with its brightly colored stripes and circles, he "hippied and he hoppied," which makes the other animals laugh at him. Elephants carry water bottles, bats wear running shoes, and snakes sport sweatbands. Only Ruby Rabbit points out that Finklehopper's style suits him just fine, and he hops along with his usual frog expertise. Lies entertains with a full range of cartoon expressions and strict attention to the smallest details in the lives (and jogging attire) of more than 30 animals. With rhyming verse, Livingston points out the strengths of individuality and diversity. Large-font text overlays full-page art done in acrylic paint, creating an entertaining read-aloud.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Everyone else is out jogging, Finklehopper Frog notices one morning, and he decides to join in: "I will buy a jogging suit./ I'll get myself a jazzy one,/ a dandy one, a beaut!" As he struggles to transform his hop into a jog, the other animals snicker at his contortions and his eye-popping apparel. "Didja get it at a sale?" sneers Yowlereen, a catty feline jogger. Although hurt, the frog perseveres and befriends a rabbit-a fellow hopper-who praises his suit and his moves: "Keep on doing/ what you always do,/ cause hopping is the way to go,/ the perfect way for you." Except for a peculiarly rhymeless ending, Livingston's rhythms echo Finklehopper's bounce and blithe spirit, and encourage youngsters to be happy with their own best efforts. Lies's (Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle) bright, crisp acrylics boost the energy level, illustrating the animals with rib-tickling human trappings, among them a frog in a fez, a worm on a pogo stick, a tadpole being pushed in a glass tank stroller. Framing this pro-fitness story, the endpapers display Finklehopper stretching out, and a title page shows the hero reading a newspaper headlined: "Exercise Found to Promote Hoppiness." Ages 3-7. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In jaunty rhyme, a lesson about individuality is hidden beneath the jazzy jogging suit of Finklehopper Frog, as he gets the jogging bug and, once properly clad, tries to join the other animals. Finkle realizes frogs aren't built to jog, but hopping is fine, too. The bright, zany illustrations and rhythmic text help overcome the thinness of the story. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
K^-Gr. 2. The premise isn't new, but the fresh art and animal cast will appeal to children learning about self-esteem. In his urgency to join the fitness trend, Finklehopper buys a silly looking outfit and takes up jogging, even though he's used to hopping. The other animals laugh at him. Finally, another hopper, Ruby Rabbit, encourages Finklehopper to quit trying to be like everyone else and just HOP. The acrylic-paint illustrations in bright, summery colors feature comical images of animals tricked out in exercise garb: an alligator wears headphones, a turtle sports a baseball cap, a cat jogs in a pink tracksuit. They all run on their hind legs like humans, and the blend of animal and human traits is clever and funny: the chimp who runs the clothing store where Finklehopper buys his jogging suit holds up hangers with her toes as well as her fingers. The rhythmic text will be fun to read aloud, and the story may encourage kids to get up and do some hopping of their own. --Diane Foote