The Frog Who Lost His Underpants

PreS-K—A teddy bear is walking through the jungle when he meets his friend Frog, who is distraught over the theft of his underpants. Teddy, along with Chimpanzee and Elephant, helps him search for the missing skivvies. Eventually they find a huge group of jungle frogs fighting over their friend's bright red briefs. They stop the battle and start an underwear production line to cover every froggy bottom. However, they soon learn that their friend Frog only wanted to stand out and be special, and Teddy reassures, "'My froggy friend…in underpants or not,/you'll always be a special frog/to me…no matter what.'" The story is told in rhythmic stanzas that are well suited for singing—the tune for "I'm a Little Teapot" works well. The pen and watercolor paintings are full of jungle flora and fauna, and though they are done in a cartoon style, they create a realistic sense of the jungle as a specific place. Full of small details and humor, the art adds a great deal of life to the story. The length and level of detail in the illustrations make it a stretch for use in storytime, but those with smaller, older groups should be able to make it work, and it's a great choice for one-on-one sharing. The plot is slight, but books about underpants are always popular, and the cheeky illustrations of frogs in their new undies will keep this title from lingering on the shelf. A nonessential but fun choice.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN