Lilliana and the Frogs
written and illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Harbour Publishing, 2020
ISBN 978-1-55017-934-7 (hc)
$22.95, 29 pp, ages 4 – 8
harbourpublishing.com
Curious children who love animals or insects will love this book! Highlighting a species that can be found in almost every Canadian province and territory, and written at an early reading level, this picture book will appeal to a wide range of young students. Lilliana’s room is filled with frog posters, stuffed animals, decorations, and “croaks” from outside her window at night. One day, Lilliana searches through the fallen leaves for her favourite green friend, happily filling a jar full of chorus frogs to bring home and set up in a box in her room. Later, while Lilliana is out hunting for flies for food, the frogs escape the box and explore her house. Lilliana learns that her home is not comfortable for frogs, and they belong in their forest near the pond.
Classroom Connections: Ritchie uses low-readability words and inferencing-dependent illustrations to share Lilliana’s story and teach about chorus frogs. Great for naturalists, the book supports early educators’ message that “nature stays in nature.” It could be read aloud or placed in the library for early independent readers or used as a springboard for life cycle and nature studies (animals or insects). It also provides a possible alternative to the usual non-fiction report format—creative young writers could mimic Lilliana’s story and share information about their own favourite critter. Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Connections, Inferring, Transforming.
Review by Amanda Forbes.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Spring 2022 issue.
