"Frog and Toad Together"

Summary of Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
This easy reader contains five short stories for beginner reading.  Frog and Toad are best friends who enjoy being together. Simple topics highlight each small stories that children are familiar with at a young age. Each chapter has a different story about their friendship filled with humor and fun.  Beautiful illustrations are found on each page with natural colors and shading by a favored author of children's books.

Lobel, A. (1979).  Frog and Toad Together.  New York, NY.  HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Personal Review of Frog and Toad Together
This book is an excellent choice for any child at this level of reading.  My daughter and son both loved the humorous stories and illustrations.  The stories are motivating for the discovery of joy and pleasure one can find in reading.  Children are exposed to familiar topics such as flowers, cookies, bravery, and dreams.  More adventures for Frog and Toad are available in addition to this title.

Reviews of Frog and Toad Together
"This 1972 book is still a delight to read to your child and have your child read to you. Frog and Toad are together in five featured stories including A List, The Garden, Cookies, Dragons and Giants, and The Dream.
The stories are simple, but even in this world of computer games, Pixar and pop-up books, they catch a child's attention. A List features Toad doing his first To Do list. It is a nice way to talk to a child about being organized, but being flexible if things go wrong (Toad's list blew away, but he couldn't run after it because chasing his list wasn't on his list). The Garden is good about illustrating patience while watching seeds grow. Cookies is a funny story about will power. Dragons and Giants illustrates friendship and bravery. And the last story, The Dream is another story about friendship. Whether you use the stories as springboards for teaching tools or just to enjoy, they are wonderfully and simply illustrated and the story flows gently."
 
Review by Deborah Verlen and Retrieved from Amazon.com on August 31, 2010 

Suggestions for the Library
How about a display and story on the differences between frogs and toads?  Since Frog and Toad are friends, focus on the similarities and ask the students why they might want to be friends.  Then ask what makes them different from each other.

"Love You Forever"

Summary of Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
This story is about a mother's love for her son who rocks and sings a song to him every night after he goes to sleep. From the time he was a baby, she would come to him when he was already asleep, lift him up, and rock and sing to him the same song.  The story advances through the son's life, and in the end he returns his mother's love by rocking her in her old age.  When his baby girl is born, he passes on the song to her.

Munsch, R. (1995). Love You Forever. Ontario, Canada. Firefly books, Ltd.

Personal Impressions of Love You Forever
This book has controversy surrounding it. Some adore the illustration of a mother's devotion, while others criticize her ability to convey her love to her son while he is awake. Over-analysis of this story causes many assumptions of the author's intentions. Instead, think of the book's theme as addressing a mother's love of her child and personal feelings that he is always her baby. It is a sweet story not to be taken literally. Children will think it is funny that a grown man is rocked to sleep by his mother who loves him and know this does not really happen. Meant to be a tear-jerker, the author is trying to put into words with the help of the illustrator a picture of a mother's love and what it means to her son. For the conclusion of the story, he reciprocates his love back to his mother in her old age and continues the tradition with his newborn daughter. This demonstration at the end of the book shows that he was aware of his mother's love and actions.

Reviews of Love You Forever
"First published in 1986, this classic book by Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child--forever. McGraw's soft and colorful pastels perfectly complement the sentiment of the book--one that will be read repeatedly for years."
Retrieved from Books in Print and retrieved on August 29, 2010.

"I'll love you forever / I'll like you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." Since Love You Forever was first published in 1986, millions of parents have lulled their children to sleep with these affectionate words. This picture book will widen the influence of this soothing message.
Review from Barnes & Noble and retrieved on September 6, 2010.

Suggestions for Use in a Library
This would be a great story telling book. Have the children sing along with you for the song.  Include a craft that shows the cycle of life; baby, child, teen, man, elderly, and back to baby to start the cycle again.