Monthly Book Recommendation: Frog and Toad are Friends

Frog and Toad are Friends

by Arnold Lobel
Recommended reading ages: 4-8 years
Lexile measure: 400L

A classic picture book by American children’s author Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are Friends follows the whimsical life of two animal friends. It is a collection of five easy-to-follow short stories that will keep young readers easily engaged. This is a highly accessible novel as Lobel uses simple vocabulary which is repeated throughout each story, alongside frequent accompanying pictures. The readability and fun storylines of this book makes it a great choice for a range of reading abilities: Frog and Toad can be read out loud to young children, read together with those who have just started learning, or read independently by those a few years older.
​Below are the reasons why we recommended it and some post-reading questions and activities.

Why we recommended

The sweet, playful themes also make the content of Lobel’s book perfect for young children, teaching them the value of friendship, compassion and empathy. The two characters appeal to readers of all ages, who, like Frog and Toad, must overcome daily challenges such as boredom, impatience and embarrassment. Having fallen in love with these funny, relatable characters, young readers will be eager to continue following their adventures — which they will be able to do with the three sequels that also contain five short stories each. The Frog and Toad series are a fantastic choice for any young reader, providing a wealth of accessible, simple tales that will no doubt inspire a love of reading in children, improve their vocabulary, and at the same time teach them important life lessons of friendship and perseverance.

Questions and activities for readers

adapted from Woo! Jr.
Chapter 1: Spring

• Frog loves spring because he can play in the beautiful weather outside. What is your favorite season? Why?
• What are the differences between the four seasons? Can you draw a picture for each season? (Seasons worksheet)

Chapter 2: The Story

• Frog and Toad both don’t feel very well. How do you feel when you are sick? What makes you feel better?
• Toad can’t think of a story to tell Frog. Can you come up with a story to tell Frog so he feels better?
• Toad can’t find his button! Can you color and count the buttons for him? (Button worksheet)

Chapter 3: A Swim

• Frog and Toad love swimming together! Which other animals like swimming? Which of them live in water?

Other activities:

• Sequence of events cutout worksheet

Interested in learning more? Contact us and join our L3 English Reading and Writing or Literature class. ​

---

The article is written by Noa Shmueli
About Noa
Graduated from Taipei European School, Noa is now majoring in English at Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin. An avid reader and writer, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the TES student magazine, PEAK, and have been editing textbooks and essays since 2016.