Frog Trouble: . . . And Eleven Other Pretty Serious Songs
Combining Boynton’s lyrics and music with the voices and instruments of today’s top country musicians results in a heck of a fun half hour of country music at its best. Now, these aren’t your typical chart-topping tunes about unrequited love, but rather entertaining songs about frogs, dogs, trucks, and more. Fitting the style of country music, each song tells a story—some sad, some funny, and some just sweet. The simple lines and muted colors of Boynton’s clean, uncluttered illustrations further expand the tone of the songs. The book is divided into three parts: “Look While You Listen,” “Sing and Play Along,” and “Meet the Performers.” In the first are the lyrics and art; in the second are the lyrics and the music (just the melody); and in the third are photos of the singers, bands, and instrumentalists, followed by recording credits, book credits, and lastly, instructions for making a folding frog puppet. Naturally, this comes with a CD. Get some scratch guard, because it’ll be played a lot. Grades K-3. --J. B. Petty