Illustrated in his unmistakeable style, Leo Lionni’s book is full of wit and insight.
It stars a minnow and a tadpole who are inseparable friends. When the tadpole starts to grow legs however, the minnow is outraged and can’t believe his friend could be a frog, ‘Frogs are frogs and fish is fish and that’s that’, he states. But of course, the frog’s legs keep growing whatever the fish says, and soon are long enough for him to leave the pond and explore the world. The fish wonders where his friend has gone and is delighted when he returns, full of news of the extraordinary things and creatures he’s seen. As the frog describes birds, cows and humans, readers are privy to exactly how the fish imagines them! A longing to see the world for himself almost proves too much for the fish but fortunately all ends well with him happy and where he should be in his luminous underwater world. And it is luminous in Lionni’s illustrations. A sparkling story, simple but full of surprising depth.
From beloved Caldecott winning picture book creator Leo Lionni, this charming tale of sticking together and imagination shows how powerful friendship can be.
Two best friends, a minnow and a tadpole, are practically inseparable until the tadpole grows legs and decides to explore the world beyond the pond. When the tadpole, now a frog, returns to tell his friend of the extraordinary things he's seen, the minnow, now a fish, tries to follow in his footsteps, but quickly finds that land is not what he expected. Friendship truly saves the day in this imaginative tale of a fish out of water.
Leo Lionni an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he moved to the United States in 1939. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage. He wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children's books. In 1984, he received the American Intitute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner. Leo died in 1999, at the age of 89, at his home in Tuscany, Italy.
