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City Dog, Country Frog

From the time they meet, City Dog and Country Frog are good friends. During the spring and summer, they play Country Frog (jumping and splashing) and City Dog (fetching and barking) games. In fall, Country Dog is tired so they play “remembering games”—games to recall their happy memories from spring and summer. But when winter arrives a lonely City Dog waits for Country Frog, but Country Frog never comes. When spring arrives again, Country Chipmunk appears, a surprising twist that brings Mo Willems’s tender tale about friendship, nature and cycles full circle. Willems skillfully uses simple language and repetition, along with elements of humor, to tell a soothing story that can be interpreted in many ways, making it rich for discussion possibilities with young children. Illustrator Jon J. Muth’s vibrant watercolor artwork, containing expressive, anthropomorphized characters, captures the contrast of changing seasons, and emotions associated with discovery and loss. Honor Book, 2011 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2010 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Jon J. Muth

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-7
Age Range: Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3) PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Aging Animals (Fiction) Friendship Grief and Loss Hope and Healing Seasons

Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Year: 2010
Pages: 56
ISBN: 9781423103004

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Willems

City Dog, Country Frog