Children's Book Review: I Don't Want To Be A Frog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt

Hardcover, 32 pages

Publication: February 24th 2015 by Doubleday Books for Young Readers

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Fans of Mo Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back will love meeting this willful young frog with a serious identity crisis. Frog wants to be anything but a slimy, wet frog. A cat, perhaps. Or a rabbit. An owl? But when a hungry wolf arrives—a wolf who HATES eating frogs—our hero decides that maybe being himself isn’t so bad after all. In this very silly story with a sly message, told in hilarious dialogue between a feisty young frog and his heard-it-all-before father, young readers will identify with little Frog’s desire to be something different, while laughing along at his stubborn yet endearing schemes to prove himself right.

     A frog with an identity crisis. Imagine that! I Don't Want To Be A Frog is about a Frog that is not particularly thrilled with who he is. Frog says: "Let me ask you something... If you could be any animal in the world, what would it be? Probably NOT a Frog, right? Exactly."

     Frog would rather be a Cat. Warm and fuzzy! Or a Rabbit. Or better yet, an Owl! Even being a Pig seems like a more appealing option, even if he'd have to eat garbage. He just doesn't want to be a Frog, Frogs are wet and slimy, and they always eat bugs. 

   But he can't be a Cat. He doesn't have ears so he can't be a Rabbit either. And he doesn't look wise enough to be an Owl. And let's face it, he couldn't really eat garbage. 

But you know what? Being a Frog isn't all that bad after all. At least wolves don't eat Frogs! Why? Because they don't like wet, slimy things filled with bugs! Ha!

    Dev Petty's newest children's book is simply fantastic. It's clever, witty, fun, and - above all - smart. It will teach your kid about identity. Your child will learn that even though he or she may sometimes wish to be someone else entirely, it's important to realize that we are who we are - unique, special, different from everyone else - and accepting this will bring happiness. 

     I absolutely love the message this adorable little book carries. Self-acceptance and low self-esteem are things many children struggle with, and I believe it's important to teach your child to love and be proud of who he/she is. This book will help parents do just that, all the while having fun and enjoying the vibrant, gorgeously rendered illustrations by Mike Boldt (a truly talented graphic designer!). It's one of my absolute favorite children's books and it will definitely have a special place on my daughter's shelf.