Sir Lilypad the Green (bravest frog I’ve ever seen)

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Text © 2015 by Anna Kemp | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

“It’s not easy being green.”

— Kermit the FrogMany years back, BG (Before the Gruffalo) rhyming picture books (in the UK, at least) were hard to find.

The reason? Publishers - seeking to maximise their investment - sell their books to as many foreign co-publishers as will take them. And good rhyme is lost in translation.

But then along came Julia Donaldson and the glorious Gruffalo (not to mention the hugely successful Bear books by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman). And all of a sudden, rhyming stories are most acceptable - in vogue, even.

Rhymes are a great way to develop speech in your children - hence all those traditional nursery rhymes. And publishers (keen to jump on the Gruffalo-shaped bandwagon/money-making machine) have recently flooded the picture book market with rhyming stories. This proliferation has inevitably resulted in some rather forced - and tedious - stories. So discovering one that works on every level is a refreshing find! Enter Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015).

Sir Lilypad - a tall tale of a small frog - does what it says on the tin. A follow-up to The Worst Princess (which I confess to not having read), it works splendidly as a stand-alone title.

The story is a play on traditional fairy tales and conquering adventurer stories. And as with all good fairy tales, it begins Once upon a time:

 

Once upon a time, in a deep dark bog,

Lived a teeny-tiny speckled frog.

 

‘Not much bigger than a pea’, Little Tad (or as he prefers to be known, Sir Lilypad) is dwarfed by his bullish brothers. Tad dreams of becoming big and tall and strong like them. Meanwhile, he assumes an alter-ego:

 

Sir Lilypad the brave and wise! Slayer of the dragonflies.

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Text © 2015 by Anna Kemp | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

I love the image of him, astride a leaping koi carp, resplendent and orange. (Turn the page, and you discover it was just a big leaf all along.)

One night, Sir Lily finds hope and inspiration in the pages of his bedtime book:

 

Then, one night, tucked in his nook

He read the most terrific book!

Frog to prince with one small kiss

From a grateful royal miss.

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Text © 2015 by Anna Kemp | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

Ogilvie’s illustration is playful. A cross-sectional image of Sir Lily’s damp abode (lit by a firefly lamp) the scene adds to the written narrative. Tucked under a leaf, sword by his side (with dripping chain mail pants hung out to dry), our wannabe hero reads:

Frog + kissy lips = heroic knight!

The solution to every froglet’s problems, right?

 

“If I could save a princess true,

I’d surely grow a foot or two!”

 

Feeling tough and brave, the diminutive Sir Lilypad hops off in search of a princess to rescue. He encounters a playful mash-up of characters, including an ogre (vast and green, complete with string vest) and a snoring witch. 

But no sign of a princess.

Poor Sir Lily begins to feel defeated:

 

His sandwiches were getting soggy.

Oh, what a wretched little froggy!

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

Just in the nick of time, Sir Lily glimpses flowing hair, sparkling eyes and cherry lips - his damsel in distress! Well, not so much distressed (or even in need of rescuing). With yellow baseball boots and ‘a broadsword slung around the hips’, this spunky princess is out picnicking with a dragon.

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Text © 2015 by Anna Kemp | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

Unperturbed, Sir Lily comes to the rescue:

 

“Release that maiden fair!” he roared.

Then poked him with his wooden sword.

“I say,” said Dragon. “Do you mind?

It’s rude to creep up from behind.”

 

Brilliant!

The friendly Princess brings things bang up to date. She’s sassy and - as she points out - doesn’t require a noble knight! In a nod to The Worst Princess, she brags, “Have you seen me in a fight?”

Sir Lilypad is crestfallen. He drops to his froggy knees in a suitably dramatic turn and wails,

 

“But now I’ll be forever small!

And not a proper knight at all.

The other frogs will call me stuff

Like weedy-pants and sugar-puff.

I’ll always just be tiny Tad

And never Brave Sir Lilypad!”

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Text © 2015 by Anna Kemp | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

This adventure of Tad’s - this quest - was never about the fair maiden. It was about his self-esteem. He was unable to accept unchangeable facts about himself. He may be small, but there’s no denying his bravery. As Princess quite rightly points out: Froglets can be heroes too.

And what a froglet he is! Ogilvie’s depictions of him are so energetic and expressive - from his swashbuckling poses down to his moments of despair.

In the time-honoured tradition of fairy tales - they all live happily ever after. Sir Lilypad is subsequently knighted, Sir Lilypad the Green! (“Bravest frog we’ve ever seen!”) and joins their motley crew.

Sir Lily cuts bullies down to size and stands up for the little guys. He forgets ‘his under-average height.’ Which, my friends, is reason enough to celebrate this picture book. It teaches the valuable lesson of accepting the things that cannot be changed and rising to the challenge of being the hero in our own stories.

And maybe, just maybe, we, too, will get to poke some baddies on the way!

 

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp and Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015) | Illustration © 2015 by Sarah Ogilvie

 

STORIES WORTH SHARING: Sir Lilypad by Anna kemp and Sarah Ogilvie

Good to Read because:

It’s funny!

It depicts a strong, female protagonist.

Kids will be enchanted by - and relate to - the adorable froggy hero!

Sir Lily will boost your child’s confidence (and encourage them to dream big!).

There’s loads of incidental details to enjoy in the illustrations (e.g. The ogre’s sinister-looking venus fly trap plant)

It’s a great example of how traditional tales can be mashed up.

Sequential panels support visual literacy.

It’s a great one to read-aloud!

 Good to Read

Inspiring books with tiny heroes

The Storm Whale by Benji Davies

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, ill. by Axel Scheffler

Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen, ill. by Kevin Waldron

Lavender by Posy Simmonds

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

 

For older children

Little Wolf’s Book of Badness by Ian Whybrow, ill. by Tony Ross

Charlotte’s Web by EB White, ill. by Garth Williams

BUY THE BOOK

‘ Sir Lilypad is adorable. Faultless family fun.’

- BookTrust

‘Sparky [and] funny’

- Love Reading 4 Kids Buy UK* #AD i earn commission from this link SOURCES

Sir Lilypad by Anna Kemp, ill. by Sarah Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster 2015)

© 2020 BY TIM WARNES(UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)**** USE OF THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE.