Why the Frog Has Big Eyes

by Betsy Franco, Joung Un Kim (Illustrator)

Once upon a time all frogs had beady little eyes . . . until one frog boasted that he could stare longer than anyone. Joung Un Kim's bold colors and stylized artwork are as spirited and amusing as the hilarious competition between Frog and his friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction

20 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Betsy Franco is an accomplished and versatile author whose body of work spans over 80 published titles, including fiction, young adult novels, picture books, and poetry collections. Known for her creative, collage-like approach to storytelling, Franco has also written a screenplay for each of her novels, with Naked optioned for film and The Art of Love currently in post-production.
Franco has a strong background in film and theater, having served as the screenwriting mentor for Metamorphosis, Junior Year, a film adaptation of her novel and play. The project was a family collaboration involving her sons James and Tom Franco, and it was well received at major festivals including Cinequest and Mill Valley, earning recognition as a top ten film by the San Jose Mercury News.
Her creative partnerships with her sons continue across various mediums: she appeared in James Franco’s film The Broken Tower and on General Hospital, while Tom Franco has illustrated her books and co-produced films with her. She also works closely with her son Dave Franco, who assists with her writing projects and participated in the audiobook of Metamorphosis, Junior Year alongside James.

Reviews

[Carly Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a good lesson to it. It teaches kids that bragging is not nice and it is a relatable book. I used this book in one of my lesson plans for my two second graders and they enjoyed it! They discussed with me on how they do not like when people brag and how they did not like the frog character. This book also has great illustrations which I enjoyed looking at. All together, it was an adorable, easy to read book for first and second graders.

[Dixie Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy has a favorite author, and can recognize his style, and find his signature on his books, but a book she has from the library isn't an Eric Carle book and she has argued with me for days. Just now her Dad was reading an Eric Carle book to her, so I told him about our impasse. She jumped down, went straight to the library basket, pulled the book up onto the couch beside Emerson and insisted, "tell her, Tell her Eric Carle Daddy!"

In spite of this not being an Eric Carle book, it is a favorite of our two year old granddaughter.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fable, Why the Frog Has Big Eyes explains why frogs have such distinctive peepers. A fun and easy book for beginning readers.

Used for "April is National Frog Month" storytime: April, 2012.

[Deborah Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a nice book. The pictures are colorful and beautiful. It is along the lines of a folk tale.