Frog and Toad are Friends, by Arnold Lobel {1970}

Frog and Toad are Friends, as well as the rest of the Frog and Toad books, are a true favorite around here. My husband loves them, and personally identifies with Toad. I laughed aloud the first time I read this book to S, it is just so humorous in a true to life sort of way. S is currently on a major kick- she's declared herself to be Frog, and W is Toad. Since Frog and Toad are best friends, it is very nice to see her playing so sweetly with her little brother.

Plot. This is a collection of several short stories featuring the daily lives of Frog {an optimistic, happy-go-lucky sort of guy}, and Toad {the serious and melancholy one}. Frog and Toad welcome spring, send each other mail, make up stories, search for a lost button, and go swimming.

Thematic Elements. Friendship is huge in these books- the importance of sticking with your friends, supporting and encouraging them. Sometimes Frog has to give Toad an extra motivational push, and while Toad may not like it, it is usually good for him in the end.

Educational Opportunities. For "Spring," talk about the months of the year. Show your child a calendar and memorize the names of each month.

Several of the stories showcase emotions- happiness, sadness, embarrassment, frustration. Give your child definitions of these emotions, and ask them what makes them feel happy, sad, lonely, etc. Talk about how they can work through these emotions in a God-honoring way.

S loving this book. Note the new glasses!

Activities.

• After reading "The Story," encourage your child to make up and tell their own story, offering an example or two of your own. 
• Collect multiple buttons. of varying size, shapes, and colors. Compare the buttons, and ask your child to describe them and point out differences {to accompany "A Lost Button"}.
• Print and color pictures of Frog and Toad. 
• First Grade a la Carte has generously shared her Frog and Toad lesson plans on her blog. While most of the activities are for older children, the printable game boards she has look like something my three year old might enjoy. 
• I love this cute brown paper bag Toad puppet that First Grade and Fabulous posted. It looks like a simple and fun craft to make and play with! You could even reenact the stories with it.

Other Resources. If you do nothing else, please at least watch the claymation series {made in the 1980's} on YouTube. This one is my favorite, but they are all really fun :).

Be sure to also check out... Days with Frog and Toad, Frog and Toad All Year, and Frog and Toad Together. Also, Giant John by the same author, and Odd Owls and Stout Pigs: A Book of Nonsense, which is a collection published posthumously from his archives, illustrated by his daughter.

Looking for more great books to read with your preschooler? Check out the rest of this 31 Days series here!

Some of the links above are affiliate links- which means that if you make a purchase through them, I receive a small profit at no extra charge to you. But you should know that I am an avid believer in reading for free through both local and church libraries ;). Thanks for supporting The Purposeful Wife!