Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout. Megan McDonald. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press (Distributed in Canada by Random House Canada), 2013. 148 pp., pbk., $6.00. ISBN 978-0-7636-6688-0. Subject headings: Frogs-juvenile fiction. Swimming-juvenile fiction. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Elaine Fuhr. **** /4

excerpt:

Crac-awk! A little green frog leaped out of his boot, hopped down the steps, and sprang into the grass.

Stink dropped the Amazing Spider-Man #159. He sprang after the frog. “At least you have all your legs,” said Stink. Sock-footed, he chased it through grass and mud on all fours. But the little four-footer blended into the grass. He was so fast on his little frog feet, he got away.

“I give up,” said Stink. He went to squirt off his muddy hands, but no water came out of the hose.

“Great,” said Stink. He picked up his comic book and raced inside. He wipe-wipe-wiped the bottoms of his socks. They were still muddy. And grassy.

That’s the end of you, Hammerhead. Stink peeled off his socks and tiptoed upstairs to the bathroom. Being a super-hero is no bed of roses. Stink turned on the water in the tub to rinse his feet. Sproing! Something caught his eye. Not a rubber ducky. Not a floaty boaty. A froggy woggy. A real live blinking frog.

Stink is so afraid to put his whole face in the water at swimming lessons that his friends and his sister tease him all the time. He really wants to be able to dive for quarters like his sister, but he just can’t do it. However, an amazing thing will happen that helps him gain his confidence. It is spring, and Stink finds so many frogs that he can’t believe it. Some are normal, some are not. He finds a frog with just three legs. He learns about others that have three eyes or an extra leg. Very weird! Jasper, a young environmentalist, tells Stink and his friends that something wrong in the environment is what is the cause of these strange frogs, and he enlists their help in doing a frog count. Stink must work hard to learn the frog calls, and, as he does, he learns many amazing facts about local and world frogs. Then one day, Stink gets a friendly lick from a freaky blue mutant frog. He soon finds that his frog abilities begin to develop and, of course, swimming is one of those abilities.

     Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout is a delightful early novel for young readers. Stink is as comical as his name, but he is such a smart little boy. He has developed a hero, Stink Frog, and designed interesting comics about his character. This novel also introduces young readers to many interesting facts about frogs, and it would be an excellent resource for combining language arts with a science project. Stink and the Freaky Frog Freakout has everything for the young reader: short chapters that don’t overwhelm, excellent illustrations that enhance the reading material and help less confident readers with comprehension, and comics, one of my favorite reading tools for reluctant readers.

Highly Recommended.

Elaine Fuhr is a retired teacher from Alberta.

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