ANNOTATION

Jessica the frog befriends the animal that hatches from an egg she brought home, thinking it is a chicken.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Illus. in full color. While taking a walk, three frogs discover what they believe to be a chicken egg and eagerly wait for it to hatch. When a scaly, four-legged creature with a long snoutful of teeth emerges a few days later, the frogs are still convinced it's a chicken and are thrilled to have a new friend. Soon the frogs and "chicken" are inseparable, at least until the day "chicken" finds and returns to her mother...an enormous "hen" who looks suspiciously like an alligator! "An eggs/rmtraordinary treat from a master storyteller."—School Library Journal. "Just the thing to lighten up a picture-book hour."—Kirkus.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

``On Pebble Island, there lived three frogs: Marilyn, August, and one who was always somewhere else.'' Like the amiable animals in Lionni's previous, inimitable fables, these anthropomorphized amphibians have a quiet but memorable adventure. In the spotlight is the roving frog, Jessica, who is ``full of wonder,'' and proclaims everything she finds--even common pebbles--``extraordinary.'' When she comes across a stone that is ``perfect, white like the snow and round like the full moon on a midsummer night,'' she lugs it home, whereupon Marilyn, ``who knew everything about everything,'' announces that it is a chicken egg. ``I was right! It is a chicken!'' she exclaims smugly when the egg hatches and a baby alligator emerges. Kids will giggle at the frogs' repeated references to the friendly newborn as ``the chicken.'' They'll be even more tickled when the frogs chuckle at the ``mother chicken'' who, finally reunited with her offspring, greets her ``sweet little alligator.'' ``What a silly thing to say!'' concludes the omniscient Marilyn. In his 40th book, Lionni is in typically fine form. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

One of the best known children's fable tellers is Leo Lionni. This is his fortieth book. The heroine of the story is Jessica, an adventuresome frog who is full of wonder and always brings back treasures to share with her frog buddies, Marilyn and August. One day she brings home an extraordinary egg and Marilyn tells her it's a chicken egg. The frogs hold firm to this belief, even when an alligator hatches out, and eventually finds its way home and is called alligator by its mother. Lionni makes a place for young children to be part of his story. A preschooler knows more than these silly frogs and Lionni sets up situations where children can find triumph in their knowledge. Lionni knows how to tell a story to entertain while planting seeds that may one day blossom into new knowledge.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-A fable about friendship with a touch of mistaken identity. One day Jessica, an adventuresome young frog, rolls home a ``beautiful stone'' to show her two froggy friends. Marilyn, who knows ``everything about everything,'' states with absolute certainty that it's a chicken egg. So when an alligator hatches, the three frogs are surprised and delighted with how well their ``chicken'' can swim. When she saves Jessica from drowning in a tangle of weeds, the two become inseparable friends. One day, a bird lands to lead the alligator back to her mother; Jessica accepts this with equanimity. She is a heroine whose wonder at the world and loyalty to her friends rank her with such erstwhile heroes as Joyce's ``Bently'' and Dr. Seuss's ``Horton.'' But while those two stalwarts protect and cherish their eggs before they hatch, most of this story centers on the relationship that develops after the little alligator springs from its shell. Lionni's understated text perfectly complements his signature illustrations, which are a skillful combination of collage, crayon, and watercolors. An eggs-traordinary treat from a master storyteller.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY