Two best friends, a minnow and a tadpole, are practically inseparable until the tadpole grows legs and decides to explore the world beyond the pond...
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Aug 04, 2009
Shanna
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A baby fish and a tadpole in a pond become friends. When the tadpole grows into a frog, he leaves the water to explore the land above. Upon hearing from his friend about this wondrous world, the fish decides to go see it. But he leaves the water at his peril, only to be rescued just in time by the frog.
This is not a moralistic story, but it lays some groundwork for an understanding of what constitutes truth. This especially relates to the postmodern idea that spiritual (unseen) r More...
This is not a moralistic story, but it lays some groundwork for an understanding of what constitutes truth. This especially relates to the postmodern idea that spiritual (unseen) r More...
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Mar 05, 2010
Tricia
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I remember loving this book (it survived many culls of books over the years), and looking at it now, the illustrations are beautiful and textured, the imaginative glimpses of what fish imagines the world to be like fun and whimsical. But the underlying story is disappointing. The moral seems very much that you should stick to your pond and to what you know - that the wider world is not for fish, only frogs. The fish's desperate struggle for breath and his realisation that he is not allowed to pa
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Feb 20, 2011
Asha
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This book is about a fish who is jealous of his friend who is a friend. The frog gets to see all of the world but the fish is limited to the water. One day the fish decides he is going to fly out and land on the ground and see what the world outside the ocean. But the fish loses his breath and cant breathe. But luckily the frog saw what was happening and he saved his friend by pushing him back into the ocean. The fish learns that he needs to be in the ocean and that he is not made for the outsid
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Apr 11, 2011
This story is about a minnow and a tadpole who are young friends. When the friends grow up the, the tadpole becomes a frog and goes to live on land for a while. The frog eventually comes back to tell fish about the wonders of being on land. The pictures are really represtative of the story. Everything that Frog tells fish, is imagined through the eyes of the fish. This book can be used for grades 2nd through 5th. Its full of scientific concepts that would be a great way to introduce students to
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Apr 11, 2011
Kristin
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This was a cute book about the friendship between a frog and a fish; the frog goes out and sees the world and then recounts his experience and all of the things that he has seen on land. The reader sees what the fish is seeing in his mind when the frog is telling him about it, which is very interesting. The fish is creating his own schema for what he thinks people, cows, birds, etc. look like just by what the frog is saying. The pictures are colorful and engaging, making this book enjoyable for
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Apr 11, 2011
Heather
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This is a great short story that can teach kids many different things. Throughout the story we get to see the transformation of Tadpole as he grows legs and becomes a frog. We also see how Minnow sees the world when Frog comes back to tell his tales from beyond the pond. Minnow (now a fish) imagines all the new features he learns about cows and birds and humans to fish since it's all he knows. Also the pictures are sure to get a laugh from kids!
Jan 25, 2012
Mary Kate
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I love this book for many reasons, but mostly for the message it portrays ... that experiences in life are context dependent. Those may seem like big words for a kid, but the book does a very nice job of illustrating how our understanding is guided by our own experiences and life. And the pictures are well done, cute, fun, and funny.
As an educator, I use this book in professional development to succinctly depict context dependency for students in learning environments.
As an educator, I use this book in professional development to succinctly depict context dependency for students in learning environments.
Aug 07, 2011
Kristin
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Fish and tadpole grow up in a pond together but when tadpole begins to grow and change, their relationship changes.
I have read this book many times and I love it every time. The themes in it are so teachable: the changes that come with growing up, how friends can grow apart, how to deal with jealousy, etc. I taught this in Summer 2011 and it was over the first graders' heads a bit. I'd like to try it again.
I have read this book many times and I love it every time. The themes in it are so teachable: the changes that come with growing up, how friends can grow apart, how to deal with jealousy, etc. I taught this in Summer 2011 and it was over the first graders' heads a bit. I'd like to try it again.
Jun 26, 2010
J-Lynn
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A fish and a tadpole become friends, but when the tadpole turns into a frog and explores the world, the fish is left behind. The frog comes back and tells the fish about the world and the fish visualizes everything he says from a fish point of view. The pictures are interesting, but I'm not sure if I like the message to the fish about the fish needing to stay behind and just be a fish.
Aug 01, 2010
Patty
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Illustrator: Leo Lionni
Age: Preschool-Elementary
Summary: Fish's best friend Frog leaves the pond and comes back to tell Fish about the creatures outside of the pond.
Applications/Uses: This is an excellent story for helping students understand how important background knowledge and schema is.
Themes/Connections: Schema, pond animals
Awards: None
Age: Preschool-Elementary
Summary: Fish's best friend Frog leaves the pond and comes back to tell Fish about the creatures outside of the pond.
Applications/Uses: This is an excellent story for helping students understand how important background knowledge and schema is.
Themes/Connections: Schema, pond animals
Awards: None
Jan 15, 2010
Esmoi
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This is a cute little book. My only complaint is that it might be difficult for children to discern what the "moral" of the story is. I believe the author meant for it to be something along the lines of "do what you excel at rather than trying to be what you're not" but this could easily be misinterpreted as "don't pursue your dreams or you might die." Heh.
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Jan 25, 2010
Winslow
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We brought this Italy with us when you were just 18 months, probably a bit early for the complex imaginary universe and emotional terrain of the book. The strange creatures imagined by the fish were difficult to categorize and might have seemed mystifying, but you are drawn to the page with the "sad" fish stranded on land.
Nov 12, 2011
Atziri
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A minnow and a tadpole are great friends and live in a pond. As the tadpole grows it is interested in discovering the world above and leaves the minnow in the pond. The minnow is sad thinking his friend will never return to the pond. The tadpole is now a frog and returns to share all his discoveries with his best friend. The minnow is curious and wants to see for himself, but almost dies. The frog discovers him and helps him back into the water, and this "fish is fish".
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Apr 07, 2011
David
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A story that tells grown-ups about how people learn. I've used it to illustrate how wrong the "peoples are blank slate" myth in education; instead, people come with their own understanding and misconceptions which they use when feeding new information. In the end, this is a book about constructivism.
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Jan 14, 2012
Joanne
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This book was excellent. It was about a fish and a tadpole. The tadpole ended up becoming a frog so it left the pond and frog behind. The frog was able to explore the world and the fish wanted to join but ended up being saved by the frog. The theme of this is the importance of being yourself.
Feb 04, 2011
Danelle
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This book would be appropriate for K-1 grades because it has lots of colorful pictures and is fun to read. I would incorporate this book with how we view animals in the world. In addition, it could be used as a way to express how our imagination and uniqueness are different.
May 04, 2010
Beth
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Fish and frog are friends when very young. But as they grow, fish can't go everywhere that frog can. Fish listens to stories from frog and wants to see the wonders on land. Going onto land isn't a good idea because fish needs air. Frog helps save fish like a good friend would.
Apr 11, 2011
Hope
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This is a great book that shows how tadpoles turn into frogs. For teachers it has a greater level of learning, showing how you accommodate new information into your existing schemes. For children they will simply be amazed that a fish can grow legs!.
Jul 28, 2010
Eva
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3.5 - We like this book enough to read it every few weeks for the most part. I like how the fish decides life, for him, is better under the water and Julia, of course, loves when the fish decided to try the land life. We both like the colorful illustrations.
Apr 11, 2011
Rebecca
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This is a good book to model misconceptions students may have. It can be encouraging to become critical thinkers and observers. This is also a good book to show how friends sometimes grow apart. I would recommend this for 1st-3rd grades.
Mar 19, 2009
Lois
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This is a fun story. My favorite part is when frog tells his best friend fish about what he sees during his land adventure; fish imagines birds, cows and people all within his frame of reference--they are all modified fish.
Jul 07, 2009
Audrey
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PICTURE BOOK
About a minnow and a tadpole that are friends. Tadpole becomes a frog and goes out to see many things in the world. Fish wants to go and see all those things but quickly learns that his world is in the water.
About a minnow and a tadpole that are friends. Tadpole becomes a frog and goes out to see many things in the world. Fish wants to go and see all those things but quickly learns that his world is in the water.
Apr 11, 2011
Alana
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This is a great story about perception and the life cycle of a frog. I would use this when talking about animals and how they go through different phases during their development.
Aug 20, 2010
Ethan
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I learned that the tadpole turns into a frog, and the fish stayed a fish. I like that the frog pushed the fish back into the water because that was friendly. He saved his life.
May 11, 2010
Joy
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Frog tells his friend Fish about all of the things in the world above water and Fish wants to see it all.
Jun 08, 2011
Mckinley
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This was read aloud at a work meeting.
Good story - one of his best in my mind.
Good story - one of his best in my mind.
May 28, 2011
Peacegal
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I truly enjoyed the bright, surrealist illustrations and the slight dark element to this story.
Oct 24, 2010
Caren
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Darling story about 2 friends, one a tadpole and the other a minnow.
Good read-aloud.
Good read-aloud.
Nov 14, 2011
Kimberly
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a great book to read during science lessons about changes animals go through.
