The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog

“This celebration of differences displays great respect for readers' intelligence and yields more with each reading. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Two shy kids discover the power of friendship in this charming picture book that celebrates being different.

A boy likes to dress as a cat, but his best friend’s dog objects. What will he dress as now? A giraffe? A fox? A shark? When his best friend, Camille, suggests a frog, they work together to make the frog costume…until Camille runs out of patience. So the boy makes a list of the pros and cons of being a frog:

Pros:
1. My friend Camille gave me the idea
2. I’m less likely to be chased by a dog
3. Being in a frog costume makes me feel brave

Cons:
1. Not everyone loves wearing a frog costume as much as me
2. If you start getting bossy about your frog costume then your friend will get up and leave
3. A frog is NOT a solitary creature so it is no fun for a frog if his friend gets up and leaves

Luckily, he won’t have to choose, because true friendship means accepting each other’s differences: he can be himself and have his friend Camille.

Sue deGennaro is the illustrator of eleven picture books. The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog is the first picture book that she also wrote. It was shortlisted for the Childrens Book Council’s Book of the Year Award and received a Notable Award in the picture book category in her native Australia. Visit her online at SuedeGennaro.com.