Frog Band and the Onion Seller

Frog Band

by Jim Smith

Eminent detective Alphonse le Flic searches for a hidden casket containing treasure while being pursued by the enraged Frog Band.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

(1920-1990) Jim Smith was born in 1920. He left school at the age of 14, worked as a delivery boy and cinema projectionist, before joining the RAF as a radar-technician. He survived three years as a Japanese POW (partly through his skills as an artist, by doing pictures for his guards); returned home and married Mary (who he'd known for just three days prior to the war, and with whom he was later to have three children); opened 'The Little Junk Shop' in Salisbury with Mary, and wrote and illustrated a series of children's books. Jim died in 1990.

Jim was clearly wonderful with children, inventing and illustrating stories to enthral his own children, and always having the time of day for the children of others. A child entering The Little Junk Shop would invariably be invited to help himself or herself to a toy from a box that Jim kept for the purpose. The Frog Band Books arose from Jim's love of, and talent for, storytelling and illustration; from his sparkling and mischievous imagination, and from his love of children.

The Frog Band stories follow the adventures of a joyously eccentric cast of animal characters. The inventiveness of the storytelling is surpassed only by the richness of the illustrations: highly distinctive watercolours bursting with humour and nostalgic detail, painted by the self-taught and hugely gifted Jim Smith. The stories are made more memorable still for their loving depiction of recognisable places and landmarks, most notably Jim's home town, Salisbury, and nearby Stonehenge, recalled from Jim's childhood in the 1920s and 1930s.[fircone books]

Reviews

[Julia D'ambrosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous zany. Slighter darker than most picture books. Has a very British feel to it. Highly expressive drawings. Imagine if Mr. Toad from the Wind in the Willows was in the Italian Job and you get this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and unique.

[Sebastian Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to be able to enjoy this again!

My sister and I enjoyed the original hardback version of this as kids. It was truly enchanting, from the silly but clever punning names (the Duke de Buffo Buffo, and Alphonse le Flic), to the rather naive yet excellent art, which is packed with charm and interest.

I've ordered two copies, one for my four year old niece, now living in Spain (I'm pretty sure mum will enjoy reading this almost as much as Ali' will enjoy hearing and seeing it), and the other for myself. As a child I was unaware there were other similar stories by Jim Smith. As a nostalgic adult (and illustrator) I think I'll try and collect all the Fircone reprints, and I hope they do all of them.

Wonderful!