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Meet Frog, who starts out as a tiny egg. Follow along as it transforms from tadpole to froglet to fully grown frog in this beautifully illustrated board book for the very young.
From a tiny, vulnerable spawn to a tadpole swimming away from hungry fish, Frog evolves before readers’ eyes in a fun, informative board book that explores the life cycle of a frog. A die-cut throughout the book emphasizes how nature is full of changes—and how a frog’s life is full of excitement!
From a tiny, vulnerable spawn to a tadpole swimming away from hungry fish, Frog evolves before readers’ eyes in a fun, informative board book that explores the life cycle of a frog. A die-cut throughout the book emphasizes how nature is full of changes—and how a frog’s life is full of excitement!
26 pages, Board Book
Published March 7, 2023
About the author
Maggie Li
36 books5 followersMaggie Li is a freelance illustrator working in London. She is Art Director of popular magazine OKIDO and her work has appeared in numerous publications including Sunday Times, Le Monde, Reader’s Digest and Time Out.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 15, 2023
Read for my toddler's bedtime. Excellent read about a frog's egg life cycle into a frog and back again. Love the story and illustrations. Love this board book and the story of how frog came to be. I like the cutout of the frog & tadpole shape for the whole book. I like that readers were able to follow the beginning stage before tadpole and how it was in danger. I like seeing how the legs start to grow and the tail start to shrink! Excellent book for kids! Highly recommend!
This book is intended for readers ages 2 to 5.
Thank you Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review!
This book is intended for readers ages 2 to 5.
Thank you Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review!
March 1, 2024
Very cute, and I love how creative this book is with their illustration cutouts!
April 19, 2023
This sturdy board book, part of a series called Little Life Cycles, follows a frog from jelly dot on the water to reproducing adult. Readers will learn that, though there are lots of eggs, some will be lost to water currents or wind, or they may be eaten by bigger creatures. The lucky ones land in safety. Friendly blue and green illustrations follow Frog asithatches, grows legs, then arms, and begins to look like an adult frog. The cycle begins again as Frog finds a mate and together they make and deposit their eggs.
The text starts with a question: “Can you see the jelly dots floating in the water?” possibly inspiring readers living close to ponds in spring to go outside and see if they can spot some frog spawn. For children who are ready, this book opens up opportunities to talk about how other animals, including humans, grow and change, and even about some of the dangers wild animals face - and that not all of them reach maturity.
The sentences are short and easy to read aloud, and the pictures are full of natural-looking greens and blues and show primarily the fish, eggs, tadpoles, and frogs, allowing any child to see themselves along the shore observing.
At first, the holes cut out of the pages are eyes, then they are eggs, then they stay eggs for a few pages, then they’re tadpole bodies, then eyes, then they’re gone for a few pages, and then they’re eggs again. It’s like the designer came up with a great idea but didn’t fully carry it through. What else could the cut-outs have been?
This book is great for any littles old enough to sit for a short story and who have an interest in nature.
The text starts with a question: “Can you see the jelly dots floating in the water?” possibly inspiring readers living close to ponds in spring to go outside and see if they can spot some frog spawn. For children who are ready, this book opens up opportunities to talk about how other animals, including humans, grow and change, and even about some of the dangers wild animals face - and that not all of them reach maturity.
The sentences are short and easy to read aloud, and the pictures are full of natural-looking greens and blues and show primarily the fish, eggs, tadpoles, and frogs, allowing any child to see themselves along the shore observing.
At first, the holes cut out of the pages are eyes, then they are eggs, then they stay eggs for a few pages, then they’re tadpole bodies, then eyes, then they’re gone for a few pages, and then they’re eggs again. It’s like the designer came up with a great idea but didn’t fully carry it through. What else could the cut-outs have been?
This book is great for any littles old enough to sit for a short story and who have an interest in nature.
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March 17, 2023See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/frog-l...
FROG (LITTLE LIFE CYCLES) is a board book that introduces the idea of life cycles through the eyes of a frog. The story begins with some eggs, which have a tough journey, but one of them will become Frog. Frog hatches and becomes a tadpole before gaining some legs and growing into a frog. After it leaves the pond, he explores the world and sings, which helps him to find another frog, and together, they create eggs, which starts the cycle again.
What I loved: This was a simple and straight-forward story that follows a life cycle of a frog with peek-through cut-outs that use the eye from the cover throughout the book (it is also an egg in places). This is a gentle introduction to life cycles and will work for preschoolers well. The illustrations are cute and colorful bringing the journey to life on each page. Simple phrases are great for young readers who can follow the story well.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, sensitive readers may have a tough time with the hungry fish that eat the eggs and that he swims away from as a tadpole. The fish are not shown eating, so for most children, this will be a very small sensitivity.
Final verdict: FROG (LITTLE LIFE CYCLES) is a simple introduction to life cycles through the eyes of Frog. Colorful illustrations and straight-forward language will work well for preschoolers.
FROG (LITTLE LIFE CYCLES) is a board book that introduces the idea of life cycles through the eyes of a frog. The story begins with some eggs, which have a tough journey, but one of them will become Frog. Frog hatches and becomes a tadpole before gaining some legs and growing into a frog. After it leaves the pond, he explores the world and sings, which helps him to find another frog, and together, they create eggs, which starts the cycle again.
What I loved: This was a simple and straight-forward story that follows a life cycle of a frog with peek-through cut-outs that use the eye from the cover throughout the book (it is also an egg in places). This is a gentle introduction to life cycles and will work for preschoolers well. The illustrations are cute and colorful bringing the journey to life on each page. Simple phrases are great for young readers who can follow the story well.
What left me wanting more: As a small thing, sensitive readers may have a tough time with the hungry fish that eat the eggs and that he swims away from as a tadpole. The fish are not shown eating, so for most children, this will be a very small sensitivity.
Final verdict: FROG (LITTLE LIFE CYCLES) is a simple introduction to life cycles through the eyes of Frog. Colorful illustrations and straight-forward language will work well for preschoolers.
September 20, 2023
Board books about science aren't that common. This one explores the life cycle of the frog. It's got quite a bit of text and information. There are holes in the pages that make it easy to turn the pages. The progression from spawn to adult frog is easy to follow, and the illustrations are cute.
NOTE: I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2024
An informative nonfiction board book about the life cycle of a frog beginning and ending with frog eggs. A die-cut throughout the book is a fun way to introduce the different stages in a frog's life. Simple sentences and illustrations make this a useful book to include in preschool units about frogs.
March 8, 2023
This board book is such a fun learning tool! I wish this existed when my niece was learning about life cycles in school, she would've adored this.
The book is fun and interactive, while also being educational.
The book is fun and interactive, while also being educational.
August 21, 2023
4.5 stars--Delightful illustrations and a fun and factual storyline about the growth of a frog, from egg, to tadpole, to adult. This board book is presented in a cute fashion, with fun cut-out peek-through holes.
Want to Read
August 24, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Read
January 29, 2024Great presentation. Simple yet engaging. I liked the illustrations a lot - you could really tell what was happening from them even without the text.
June 8, 2025
My 2 year old granddaughter enjoyed this. Nice use of cut outs. Simple explanation of a life cycle.
April 21, 2026
Great book for three year olds. Tan hung with it but didn't understand a lot
June 23, 2023
Life cycles are a key part of learning for the early years and what better way to learn about them than with a bug and a frog AND board books with peep throughs.
Meet little frog as an egg and follow the journey to becoming a fully grown frog by avoiding wind rain and hungry fish! Then follow the hungry bug who, after munching everything they can find gets very tired and after a little rest remerges as a butterfly
Meet little frog as an egg and follow the journey to becoming a fully grown frog by avoiding wind rain and hungry fish! Then follow the hungry bug who, after munching everything they can find gets very tired and after a little rest remerges as a butterfly
April 21, 2026
1st time-thought the eyes would be fun but wasn't as engaging as hoped (rated 2 stars)
2nd time-super into frogs because of pond in backyard. great book for introducing life cycle of frogs to three year old. Will be checking out all other cycle books in this series and potentially buying them. Huge change of heart on this book.
2nd time-super into frogs because of pond in backyard. great book for introducing life cycle of frogs to three year old. Will be checking out all other cycle books in this series and potentially buying them. Huge change of heart on this book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews