A Spoonful of Frogs

by Casey Lyall (Author) Vera Brosgol (Illustrator)

A Spoonful of Frogs
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Frogs are the most important ingredient in a witch's favorite treat--but they are also the hardest to get into the cauldron! From acclaimed author Casey Lyall and Caldecott Honor artist Vera Brosgol, A Spoonful of Frogs is a humorous and wholly original picture book--and a winning recipe for readers who loved Dragons Love Tacos and Room on the Broom.

A witch's favorite treat is frog soup. Luckily, it's healthy and easy to make. To give it that extra kick and a pop of color, the key ingredient is a spoonful of frogs. But how do you keep the frogs on the spoon? They hop, they leap, they hide . . . and they escape. What is a poor witch to do?

Casey Lyall is a master of comedic timing with her deceptively simple and energetic text, and Caldecott Honor winner Vera Brosgol's vibrant, hilarious illustrations make the witch--and the frogs!--practically leap off the page. The solution to the witch's dilemma will surprise and delight young readers and their parents alike.

Teeming with laugher and hijinks, A Spoonful of Frogs is pure fun from beginning to end. A must-have for young readers, parents, witches, frog-lovers, and aspiring chefs.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
An all-seasons recipe for storytime success as readers will root for the frazzled witch to work her way out of a hilarious pickle.

Kirkus

Delicious fun for everyone—even frogs!

None

Lyall's spare, mostly restrained text uses ear-pleasing, catch-phrase-worthy repetition and variation ("Put. The FROGS. On. The SPOON") while Brosgol's retro-chic, increasingly frazzled digital illustrations are a chef's-kiss of comic timing.

Publishers Weekly

The host of cooking show Bewitching Kitchen!—a green-skinned, pink-nosed witch, complete with pointy hat—demonstrates how to make frog soup in this humorous picture book tutorial. But after tossing in various veggies, the key ingredient—the titular froggy spoonful—refuses to cooperate. As the witch tries to maintain a calm telegenic demeanor, the wily, hop-happy frogs escape from their tank, then prove subsequently and continually elusive. Lyall's (Inky's Great Escape) sly text follows the witch repeating some variation of the instruction "Place the frogs on the spoon" while unsuccessfully trying to grab, chase, or trap them ("Get another spoon. Use the two spoons to scoop up the frogs"). Employing varied, cinematic framing and comic energy reminiscent of cartoon animation, Brosgol's (Memory Jars) digital artwork follows the chase out of the TV studio and into the park, where a slippery rock and a proximate pickle truck prove lifesavers for frog and witch both. Ideal for fans of cooking shows—or any kid who gets the giggles from seeing a flustered adult trying to hold it together. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. Illustrator's agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (July)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.


School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—A very pale, red-nosed witch, clad in burgundy rather than the traditional black, hosts her TV show entitled "Bewitching Kitchen." Today's episode involves a demonstration on how to make Frog Soup. Step by step she takes "viewers" through the recipe from placing the cauldron on the fire to attempting to put a frog on a spoon in order to add it to the pot for "a kick of flavor and a pop of color." At this point in the story, which is told in absolute deadpan but with an underlying and expanding sense of mischief, children will begin laughing at the antics of the poor witch as she attempts to complete the recipe for her audience. Expecting the frog to stay on the spoon is her undoing as she tries to remain professional and keep her cool. Brosgol's engaging digital illustrations show a fitted-out kitchen with a large stove, hanging pots, drying herbs and jars of unspecified and indeterminate contents. The army of frogs the pink-aproned witch keeps in an aquarium are full of energy and bounce and, though they are trying the woman's patience, their faces remain serenely calm and innocent. VERDICT This entertaining tale is a humorous look at how well-laid plans can sometimes go awry, and it will tickle children's silly bones.—Maryann H. Owen

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An attempt to make frog soup, a witch's favorite treat, spells disaster during a cooking show when a key ingredient refuses to cooperate with the enchanting chef. . . . Lyall paces this mischievous story deliciously with well-timed page turns and repetition . . . Brosgol, meanwhile, makes excellent use of both white space and multipanel pages to enhance the comedic experience. . . . An all-seasons recipe for storytime success as readers will root for the frazzled witch to work her way out of a hilarious pickle." - Booklist


Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062890290
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
July 19, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002120 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Frogs & Toads
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
Library of Congress categories
Frogs
Picture books
Witches
Problem solving

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