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Red-Eyed Tree Frog

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In a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers. This is a nature tale like you've never seen before!

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999

4 people are currently reading
277 people want to read

About the author

Joy Cowley

1,494 books103 followers
Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

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5 stars
137 (30%)
4 stars
190 (41%)
3 stars
110 (24%)
2 stars
15 (3%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for Manybooks.
3,836 reviews100 followers
July 4, 2018
Although I have indeed visually and aesthetically much enjoyed Nic Bishop's interesting and colourful accompanying photographs (that little red-eyed tree frog is really in many ways massively cute, albeit I do have to admit that personally I would consider the picture of the snake quite in your face, even somewhat majorly creepily freaky) and while I have also very much appreciated Joy Cowley's Red-Eyed Tree Frog as a decent and basic introduction to Central American rain forests and its fauna and flora for young children (and not just to the red-eyed tree frog of the title, but also to rain forest iguanas, caterpillars, snakes, macaws etc.) I do indeed rather wish that there were a bit more actual text, a bit more descriptiveness and presented narrational information. For even though the supplemental details at the back of Red-Eyed Tree Frog are informative and very much appreciated, I for one would and indeed even require considerably more thematic meat and details so to speak within the text proper and not just relegated to the back of the book almost like something of an afterthought.

And therefore, whilst Red-Eyed Tree Frog has definitely been a worthwhile reading experience to and for me, I also have not in any way been even remotely wowed by especially Joy Cowley's printed words, and this, combined with the to and for me always annoying frustration that with Red-Eyed Tree Frog here is yet another non fiction, science, zoology based picture book for young children that (although there is actually quite a bit of information presented, especially within the supplemental notes) does neither cite sources nor provide any type of bibliography whatsoever for further reading and study, makes me (and with my apologies to those readers who have really enjoyed, who truly love Red-Eyed Tree Frog) only consider a low three three star ranking, as even considering that Nic Bishop's photographs are most definitely visually stimulating, aesthetically lovely and wonderful, Joy Cowley's textual shortcomings and that there are no bibliographical details at all included in Red-Eyed Tree Frog, that really does rub me the wrong proverbial way (as I am also increasingly getting more and more impatient and massively annoyed that even with comparatively recent non fiction picture books that clearly would and should need bibliographies, they are still oh very often not included, which I consider both sad but also and more importantly intellectually, academically problematic).
Profile Image for Luann.
1,306 reviews124 followers
March 3, 2009
No offense to Joy Cowley and her text for this book, but it is Nic Bishop's photographs that bump this book up from an ordinary "What will the frog eat?" type of book. Not that there is anything wrong with the text of this book. It's very nice for beginning readers. It's just that I could look at Nic Bishop's photographs all day long.
Profile Image for Ellen.
1,589 reviews461 followers
July 4, 2018
My son loved this book. Of course, he was obsessed with frogs at the time. He especially loved the red-eyed tree frog so this book was perfect (don't ask me how he learned about red-eyed tree frogs: certainly not from me!).

Beautiful pictures. The words, not so much. But for me, happy memories of many (!) hours spent sharing this with my little boy.
Profile Image for Lorena Magallanes.
25 reviews
May 3, 2015
Red-Eyed Tree Grog by Joy Cowley with pictures taken by famous photographer Nic Bishop is a great nonfiction piece of work. It tells the story of a tree frog from the start of his day to the end.

The book gives insight into a tree frogs daily life and has exquisite pictures to go along with the story. The book introduces you to other rain forest animals that a red-eyed tree frog may encounter on any given day.

There are a few double page spreads and framed photographs throughout the text that help to show the diversity of the tree frogs abilities. The story is a circle story. When the story begins, the tree frog is asleep, and awakens to go hunt and eat. At the end of the story the frog has already gone on his hunt for the day, and again we see the tree frog on a leaf, asleep, waiting for the next day to come.

The last page of the book has a double page spread entitled "Did you know?" The page has four pictures and interesting facts about tree frogs, that help to supplement the reading.
Profile Image for Kaylee Mercer.
61 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2016
The Red-eyed Tree Frog lives in the rain forest. Many different types of animals, like snakes, eat red-eyed tree frogs. These frogs have to be cautious and adapt accordingly to their environment. These frogs are beautiful and can jump far distances. This book is very informative. This is not my favorite book but it has nice pictures! This could be used in the classroom when discussing the rain forest.
Profile Image for Joy.
1,591 reviews11 followers
September 19, 2015
This is a nice nonfiction picture book about the Red-eyed tree frog. Unlike many nonfiction books, it has a bit of a storyline. The illustrations are nice colorful photographs of the frog.

The Red-eyed tree frog is nocturnal so when it wakes up at night, it is hungry. It goes out in search for food but it cannot quite find the right thing to eat until the end.
100 reviews3 followers
March 2, 2011
My students and I really like this book!! It has basic information about the frog, how it hides from the predators, what frog eats, and when it sleeps. Beautiful real photographs compliment the story and make it more as an adventure into the world of Red-eyed frog.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
1,219 reviews9 followers
April 25, 2013
Nic Bishop, my new favorite non-fiction guy, shot the illustrations for this preschool non-fiction book about a night in the rainforest with a tree frog. It's not often you find non-fiction you can share with preschoolers, but this definitely fits the bill.
2,263 reviews5 followers
November 30, 2010
The photos in this book are wonderful. Have you every seen a frog with its eyes closed? How about with one eye closed and one eye open?
Profile Image for Tuscania.
344 reviews16 followers
May 7, 2012
My daughter's Kindergarten teacher read this book to her & she liked it so much that when we went to the library she asked the librarian if they had it.
Profile Image for Beverly.
6,090 reviews4 followers
July 4, 2018
I love this book, and have read it several times. The photos are magnificent, and capture small details perfectly. The text has just enough information to satisfy a small child's curiosity.
31 reviews
November 23, 2020
This book takes the reader through an evening in the life of a red-eyed tree frog. The book starts off by informing the reader that red eyed tree frogs sleep in the daytime and are awake in the night. The book then takes the reader on a journey of the tree frog trying to find some food. The book goes through different animals that the red eyed tree frog does not eat and potential predators that he could run into. Finally, the red eyed tree frog finds a moth to eat and goes to sleep. At the end of the book, there is a "Did You Know" section that is two pages long. This section goes through more detail of the red-eyed detail in about six paragraphs, including the area of the world where the red-eyed tree frog is found, the size of the red-eyed tree frog, what it eats, and much more. The book contains real pictures of the red-eyed tree frog doing different things, including eating a moth and escaping from a boa snake. This would be a great resource for elementary students of any age to use when learning about different animals.
31 reviews
April 18, 2022
One day after school in elementary school I found this book in the library and for the next 3 years I was absolutely obsessed with this book and red eyed tree frogs. I liked this book because it didn’t read like a non-fiction book in the way that it just spit facts in your face, it reads like a story that introduces you to popular animals in the rain forests like the red eyed tree frog. The illustrations are actual pictures of the animals so readers are able to see the animals as they would in the wild. The end of the book has a few “did you know” pages where the reader can learn more in depth information about the frog. I have thought about this book and the information I’ve learned from it since the day I discovered it and I would love to give that experience to other students with this book.
Profile Image for Christy.
Author 16 books67 followers
June 12, 2017
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Category: Nature
In a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers. This is a nature tale like you've never seen before!
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,360 reviews185 followers
May 27, 2017
Through very simple text and vivid photographs, readers learn about a red-eyed tree frog's evening in search of dinner while it tries not to be dinner. Further information on red-eyed tree frogs is provided in the back of the book.

An eye-catching introduction to a nocturnal amphibian who is a master of disguise when ready for bed. I really appreciate the simple text that makes this great for preschool but also usable for a short nonfiction read to lower elementary students studying the rainforest, nocturnal animals, or frogs. Great nonfiction pick for little animal lovers. Nic Bishop's photographs are amazing as always.
Profile Image for Erica Swallow.
Author 8 books8 followers
November 4, 2018
Though the book feels slightly outdated in some design choices (such as the typography color fade on the cover, hehe), the book is a beautiful, though brief, journey through the ordinary day of a red-eyed tree frog. With fantastical photography from Nic Bishop and minimalist, narrative text from Joy Cowley, this book is highly engaging for young readers intrigued by what goes on in the most hidden corners of the rain forest. The photography pairs well with the text; as a reader, I really felt like I was *there*!
36 reviews
April 16, 2018
I thought this book was an educational way to incorporate facts about the red eyed tree frog. I think it is smart for writers like Joy Cowley to write picture books with facts for young readers so children can learn more about the subject that is trying to be taught. I also like how the pictures are realistic but still good for children! I think this book is good for young children because it explains what the red eyed green frog do and don't eat and their sleep schedule. -Lea Fabrizzi
Profile Image for Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob).
997 reviews14 followers
July 7, 2018
I think children will find this narrative exciting and wonder what's going to happen next in the life of the little tree frog.

I generally prefer my picture books with drawn/painted illustrations rather than photographs, but, this works well together. Parents will appreciate the last couple pages with more facts about the red-eyed tree frogs along with a life-size photo of one.

For me this was more of a three star book, but, it definitely would strongly appeal to children.
20 reviews
October 11, 2017
This book would be great for a unit over ecosystems, there are different animals in the pictures, and the rain forest.
Profile Image for Jessica.
1,634 reviews30 followers
November 12, 2017
Great photos and did you know in the back. It is an immersion book for our writing program.
Profile Image for Ulrike.
445 reviews10 followers
January 27, 2019
This was one of my son's favorite books when he was little. My copy is falling apart from having been read so many times.
4 reviews
February 11, 2022
Awesome story time book, after reading Jump Frog Jump, follow with this so kids can help the from get away from the snake by saying Jump frog! And end with The Wide-Mouthed frog.
653 reviews
picture-books
July 11, 2023
11.10.22 Storytime 15 ages 4-5

Introduction and announcements: Jump Like a Frog by the Kiboomers

Book one: A Frogs Life Cycle by Mary R. Dunn

Song/rhyme/game one: Little Green Frog
Mmm-Ahh went the little green frog one day (stick out tongue)
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog (stick out tongue)
Mmm-ahh went the little green frog one day (stick out tongue)
And his eyes went mm-ahh too (stick out tongue and blink big)
Honk honk went the big red truck one day (pretend to press horn)
Squish squish went the little green frog (clap/brush hand together)
And his eyes don’t go mmm-ahh anymore (shake head while sticking out tongue and blinking big)
Cause he got licked up by a dog *arf* *arf* (flip hands up into little dog ears)

Book two: Froggy Gets Dressed

Song/rhyme/game two: I know a chicken by Laurie Beckner

Book three: Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley

Song/ rhyme/ game three: Wag your tail by super simple songs

Activity: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OZgOejfYL0Q/ma...



Preschool Storytime
Attendees: 45
Date: 5.01.23
Theme: Frogs

Introduction and announcements: My Hands say hello

Book one: Finklehopper Frog by Irene Livingston

Song/rhyme/game one: Little Green Frog
Glub, Glub went the little green frog one day!
Glub, glub went the little green!
Glub, glub went the little green frog one day!
And the frog went Glub, Glub, Glub!

BUT!
We all know frogs go,
Lahdeedahdeedah!
Lahdeedahdeedah!
Lahdeedahdeedah!
We all know frogs go,
Lahdeedahdeedah!
They don’t go Glub, Glub, Glub!

Book two: Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley

Song/rhyme/game two: I know a chicken by Laurie Beckner

Book three: Excuse Me! By Lisa Kopelke

Song/ rhyme/ game three: Wag your tail by super simple songs

Activity: https://www.printablee.com/postpic/20...
Profile Image for Amy.
1,132 reviews
August 21, 2012
The text in Red-eyed Tree Frog is very simple, which was great, because it, coupled with Nic Bishop's lovely photos, made this story very digestable and interesting for my four year old nephew. The kids were really engaged by the Red-eyed tree frog's adventure through the rainforest, and not only were they interested in him, but they were also interested in the many creatures he met along his path. Frankly, I was rather surprised at how quickly and completely this book did capture them, but the photos are so colorful, and the text is so elegantly simplistic, that really I should be surprised that I was surprised. Definitely a great non-fiction animal book for the pre-school and early elementary school set.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews

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