2016 Missouri Building Block Nominee: I Don’t Want to Be a Frog

"I Don't Want to Be a Frog" book coverSearching for a cute story about looking on the bright side and finding the positives of being yourself? Then check out the 2016 Missouri Building Block nominee “I Don’t Want to Be a Frog,” by Dev Petty.

In this story, a young frog proclaims to his father that he wants to become something else. He would rather be a cat, an owl, a rabbit or even a pig. His father counters each of the little frog’s proclamations with a list of reasons why the little frog can’t be any of these animals.

Just as his father is getting to the heart of the matter, a wolf comes along. The wolf chats about how he eats all kinds of animals, especially the ones the young frog wants to be. The bright side is that the wolf won’t eat frogs for the very same reasons the young protagonist doesn’t want to be a frog (because they’re “wet and slimy and full of bugs”). Turns out being a frog isn’t so bad after all!

If you want to create a fun and froggy craft to go with this book, try out a sticky tongue craft. This craft gives you the ability to catch ‘flies’ just like frogs do. Here is a link to the instructions, courtesy of Kids Activities Blog.

Don’t forget to read at least five Missouri Building Block nominees, and help your child vote for their favorite.