Froggy Goes to School

Froggy goes to School is about a young frog who goes to school for the first time. This book taught little kids not to be afraid to go to school and that school can be fun. The reading level is about 1st grade but is a good story to read to kids for a story time or bedtime. The book was funny and it was a joy to read and I hope every one has the chance to read this book in the future.

It's Froggy's first day of school and this ever enthusiastic little amphibian can't wait. He gets dressed, eats his flies and milk, catches the school bus and has no trouble finding his very own desk with his very own name on it. He's so thrilled to be able to read his name, the first word, he realizes, that he can read, that he reads it again and again, louder and louder and even louder, until his teacher informs him that he needs to keep his voice down and that it's time to be quiet and pay attention. But it's hard for him to sit still and listen and take turns, so hard, in fact that while looking out the window and day dreaming, he falls off his chair. His teacher gently reminds him to stay in his seat and that he'll be able to sit on the floor at circle time. When circle time finally arrives, Froggy has his moment. While telling the class about how he learned to swim during the summer, he starts to sing and dance, laugh and hop and pretty soon the whole class is "swimming" right along with him, including Mr Mugwort, the principal..... No one captures the essence of a busy little pre-schooler, with places to go, people to see and things to do, like Jonathan London. His funny, joyful text, full of energy, motion and silly sound effects is wonderfully depicted in Frank Remkiewicz's bright, bold, expressive artwork. Together, they show a successful first day of school, not perfect, but realistic and reassuring to youngsters getting ready for the big step. This story is just one in a delightful series of firsts and your kids will love each and every one of them. Froggy Goes To School is a winner and a good way to help prepare your children for all the fun that's ahead when school begins.

If you want a light-hearted look at the first day of school, this is the perfect book. Froggy, who as you might guess is a frog, is nervous about the first day of school. So nervous, in fact, that he lets his imagination carry him away. First he has the dreaded dream about running late on the first day of school, nearly missing the bus, and arriving only to realize he's running around in his underwear! When he really does get to school, he's thrilled to find his name tag on his table. "He liked his name. It was the first word he knew how to read. It was the only word he knew how to read. He read it aloud, louder and louder. Frrrooggyy." A little too loud, it turns out, as his teacher, Miss Witherspoon, kindly informs him that it's time to pay attention. Later, as he gazes out the window, he's so impressed by the falling leaves that he topples out of his chair. Miss Witherspoon tells him, "Kindly stay in your seat, dear. . .We'll sit on the floor at circle time." At circle time, Froggy shares how he learned how to swim over the summer. He soon has the whole class going through the motions -- even the principal joins in! When his parents ask about his first day of school, he proudly informs them that he taught the principal how to swim! As Frank Remkiewicz draws him, Froggy is just your average little boy who happens to be a frog. He may have webbed feet, but he covers them with sneakers. Froggy's face is a mirror of his emotions -- wide-eyed terror when he awakens from a bad dream, pink-tinged embarrassment when he notices the principal watching his "swimming lessons."

This book is currently my five-year old's favorite! His kindergarten teacher read it to them the first week of school. The story line gives every one in our family the giggles. Our three-year old now refers to zip, zap, zup everytime she gets dressed. Cute story!

I think this is a wonderful book. I have read it to my children so many times that they know it by heart. I will sometimes intentionally misread a word (e.g. It was the LAST day of school), and my children immediately say "No, Mommy - It was the first day of school" and will laugh uncontrollably. I think that it is wonderful to be able to truly enjoy the gift of reading to my children with quality books such as this. As they get older, I am sure they will consider reading as something that is 'fun' and not a 'chore' because of wonderful memories that come from sharing books that have the ability to make them laugh. We own four of the Froggy books now, and I hope that more in this series are published.