Module 11: Frogs

Frogs 

by Nic Bishop

Bishop, N. (2008). Frogs. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

"A frog's life is all about eating." p. 17

Summary:

Frogs is nonfiction book about everything frogs.  Nic Bishop is both the writer and photographer for Frogs.  From the red-eyed tree frog to the African bullfrog, from tadpole to food chain, each page highlights an aspect of a frog's life, as well as a different species.  Bold color photographs fill the pages.  Varied text, interesting captions, and focused close-ups make this book appealing to readers of all ages.  

Impressions:

Nic Bishop's work is impressive.  Frogs' unique blend of photographs and factoids, written concisely, yet dense with information, make it perfect for light research or entertainment for those interested in the animal world.  Though no bibliography is included at the back of the book, readers may visit Bishop's Web site to obtain one.  In the author's note, Bishop shares his own fascination with the species and inspires the reader to observe the world around him or her just as closely.

Reviews:

From Booklist:

Grades 2-4. Bishop, who illustrated Cowley’s Red-Eyed Tree Frog (1999) and his own Nic Bishop Spiders (2007), presents a number of large, striking photos illustrating a clearly written discussion of the physical characteristics and habits of frogs. Dominating the book are Bishop’s remarkably fine color photographs of frogs from around the world. One dual-foldout spread carries a stop-action scene showing five stages of a frog’s motion as it leaps into the air and dives into water. Even the images that are magnified to many times life-size, such as the underwater shot of a tadpole in the clutches of a predatory water bug, are exceptionally clear. Another remarkable shot shows the underside of a tiny glass frog with its internal organs visible through its transparent skin. In an appended, illustrated note, Bishop relates some of his encounters with the frogs he photographed. Even libraries with dozens of frog books on the shelf should make room for this eye-catching volume.

Citation: Phelan, C. (2008). Nic Bishop frogs. Booklist, 104(9/10), 68. 

From Kirkus Reviews:

Gliding frogs, glass frogs, growling grass frogs--who knew there were so many frogs in the world? Stupendous photographs combine with a genuinely enthusiastic text to open readers' eyes to this lowly amphibian like nothing has before. Gorgeous full-bleed photos present ordinary garden toads and wood frogs with as much affection and admiration as their more exotic counterparts, golden eyes, glistening skin and all captured with incredible clarity. The text is a series of happy factlets that, when finished, provide a surprisingly thorough overview of frog physiology and behavior. In their detail, these tidbits go straight to kids' interests--one African bullfrog downed 17 young cobras! A gliding frog can soar for 50 feet! Tadpoles absorb their tails as food! The beautiful design picks up on the frogs' colors, a boldly indigo text box complementing a dart poison frog and a comfortable brown one, the spadefoot toad. A chatty author's note gives insight into both Bishop's enthusiasm and the painstaking techniques behind the spectacular images; a glossary and index complete the superlative whole. (Nonfiction. 4-8)

Citation: Nic Bishop frogs. (2007). Kirkus Reviews, 75(24), 1292.

Library Activity:

Nic Bishop has many nonfiction titles like Frogs.  Share Frogs with students by reading some fascinating frog facts from Bishop's book.  Then, for a library activity, have a Nic Bishop scavenger hunt.  Connect several titles of Bishop's books by placing index cards in each one of them, leading students to the next title in the scavenger hunt.  Have students form teams.  Start by giving each team a different Bishop book title to find.  Challenge students look up the title in the online catalog and retrieve it, peruse it, and return it, and then hunt for the next title.  When each team is done locating and perusing their string of books, challenge students to check out a nonfiction book for the week.