Frog and I have a similar issue. Sometimes, I just am not smiling. A lot of the time I’m just sitting quietly and have to deal with people telling me, “You’re so quiet!” or “Why are you grumpy?” or “Why are you not smiling/Smile more!” Well, the first is rude as I don’t ask you why you’re so loud. But the second and third is being presumptuous. This is my face. I don’t always walk around with a fool grin on my mouth. I just like to relax in ways you don’t think of as ways to relax. And our friend Frog has the same problem with her face in Frog Face by Blythe Russo.
Well, not actually a problem. You see others might see it as one, but not this frog. This is just the way she’s always been. She was born this way. And one day, after feeling particularly not-grumpy and in need of a snack, she goes out of her den and …. Runs into people (other animals). And after a day of friends asking why so grumpy? And telling her to cheer up! And just not getting that she is fine, well, Frog just might end up grumpy afterall. The (not to adults, but to kids) surprise ending is how we all should look at people who don’t always imitate The Jokers wide-a$$ grin all the time. (Though the animal that asked her “Who peed in your pond?” did make me smile.)
The cover gives a great indicator of what the images inside will look like. They are cartoony, simple, but not lacking in details, and good colors. Maybe they were not “WOW BEST EVER” illustrations, but they are terribly enjoyable and entertaining and really capture the spirit of the tone of the story.
Read via an online reader copy, this book is due mid-September, 2026.
