Just So Stories

Hardie Grant

June 2025

ISBN:9781761212987

Price:AU$24.99, NZ$27.99

Series:Our Friends in the Garden

Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

Finishing off today with a splash that is not in the ocean – here’s a really cute rhyming book featuring so many kiddos’ favourite – the frog! This is third in a series, which I have not unfortunately seen until now, but going by this cutie it would be well worth having on your shelf.

In this super bright garden – kudos to illustrator Madeline White – a rather zany looking frog is leaping around demonstrating just why frogs are important (as well as cute!) and how we know our garden is healthy when they are in evidence. Sadly, we haven’t had frogs around for the past three houses and not for lack of trying, but I have been lucky enough to review quite a few froggy books. Toni D’Alia’s rhyming text is nicely put together with some good natural rhythm. And thoughtfully, there are some useful frog facts in the backmatter.

Particularly if you are installing a frog motel at home or at school, this will be a great addition to your bookshelf and it’s definitely a 4 🐸🐸🐸🐸for Smalls up to around Year 2.