Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout

January 15, 2013
Stink Moody, younger brother of Judy, hops into the spotlight with a common problem--and one that's a bit more unusual. Stink would like to advance in his swimming lessons, but he's afraid to put his face underwater and seems doomed to remain a Polliwog forever. Fortunately, he's distracted from that issue by the sudden appearance around town--in some surprising places--of a whole lot of real frogs, a few of which are deformed. These frogs give McDonald the opportunity to offer a little information, through the voice of a nature-center guide, on how adverse environmental conditions can influence frog development. Stink memorizes a variety of frog sounds, enabling him to participate in a frog count at a local pond. Somehow, he becomes convinced that he's turning into a frog himself, but that might just make it possible for him to swim underwater. Brief, cheery, oversized text and lot of cartoonish black-and-white illustrations (only some of which were available for review) make this a good choice for newly independent readers. A minor issue is that the text informs readers that it is early spring; even in Virginia, that's a little early for Stink to be taking swimming lessons in an outdoor pool, as indicated in the illustrations. Young readers with a fondness for amphibians will jump all over this one. (Fiction. 6-8)

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July 1, 2013
Stink finds a freaky three-legged frog after swim class, and then starts running into frogs wherever he goes. The new pals inspire Stink and his gang to learn about amphibians. But is he turning into one himself? In his eighth winning chapter book with endearing-as-ever illustrations, affable Stink's inquisitive and humorous relationship with the unknown will make readers curious themselves.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)