Author: Katharine Mitropoulos
Illustrator: Laura Watson
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Year Published: 2023
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Must Read”
Ready…Set…FROG! by Katharine Mitropoulos is a nurturing tale about an enthused frog who will do whatever it takes to win his race. But the needs of a friend are more important than any race. Or are they? Find out more about this fantastic tale that masterfully teaches the importance of helping others and the art of prioritization to children.
Spoiler Free Plot
It’s Fair time on Harmony Lane, which means a challenging Obstacle Course is expected. And Frogathan Spots — Frog for short — loves few things more than challenges. When his mother tells Frog about the upcoming competition, he immediately starts practicing. He stacks up some stones and makes sure they’re high up for him to jump. Then he becomes ready to hop… all is set…and…’ FROG!’ The pile of stones comes crashing to the ground as the startled Frog reacts to his friend’s call for help.
Frog knows that your friends’ needs should always come first. So he forgoes practice to help out his friends. Three friends and three challenges are all it takes to enlighten Frog on a great life lesson every child should know: Sometimes your friends’ needs come first. But sometimes, all you have to do is say ‘no’ and prioritize yourself first.
My Take on Ready…Set…FROG!
Katharine Mitropoulos’s edifying story will teach children the value of diligently pursuing your dreams. The cute illustrations in Ready…Set…FROG! by Laura Watson is set against mixed-media textures which add depth and will keep young readers hooked. Moreover, the three challenges make the tale all the more engaging.
Children are sure to mull over what Frog has done wrong in helping out his friends.
Frog’s tale teaches the message about balancing the act of prioritizing yourself and helping others. This will prepare children to react accordingly in real life, where it’s always difficult to make such decisions promptly.
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About The Author Of Ready…Set…Frog!
Katharine Mitropoulos is a wife and a mom of two who lives with her family in Michigan. She is a trained speech-language pathologist. Her degrees in psychology, speech-language pathology, and linguistics sparked her interest in children’s literature. When she’s not writing books about Frog and his friends, you can find Katharine building furniture in her family woodshop, eating ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, or running road races all over the state.
