THE GREEN FROGS may frequently be pulled from the shelf and checked out solely on the strength of its cover art. Yumi Heo’s artistic style is interesting and exciting, with a multitude of things going on in each picture. On the cover, we see the two young frogs hopping about while mother holds breakfast and looks on. The interesting thing is that every space seems to be filled with things to look at. Bugs skim the water between the lily pads, fish swim beneath the surface. The clothing the frogs wear is detailed, and even the plain green or yellowish areas seem textured. Heo’s style is what sets this book apart. It begs for each page to be examined at length.

The story of the green frogs is a retelling of a Korean folk tale in which two young frogs constantly disobey their mother. They never listen to her and in fact often do the very opposite of what she has asked. So, when mother frog is dying, she recognizes the faults of her sons and asks to be buried by the stream; the opposite of where she would actually like to rest. However, the frogs feel remorseful for the way they treated their mother and obey her final wishes. When stream waters threaten to wash away their mother’s grave, they cry for the stream to spare it. In Korean folklore, this explains why frogs cry during the rain and why children who disobey their parents are called “chung-gaeguri”, or green frogs.

Although the art is dynamic and interesting, the story is told in a very dry way. Kirkus Reviews states, “Heo provides a gleefully fatalistic retelling, but the writing is surprisingly wooden.” The story unfolds in a logical and understandable way, but the reader may not connect much with the characters. Mother seems to be a martyr, letting the frogs run wild and sighing a lot. However, where character development lacks, the setting excels. It is revealed not so much in the text as in the superb illustrations. On one double page spread in which no text appears, mother frog appears to be calling the frogs from a lily pad while they swim happily below the surface. Heo shows intricacies of underwater life in this drawing. The reader sees all kinds of fish, turtles, bugs, and even tadpoles. When reading this book, one almost wants to skim the text and spend the time examining the pictures. THE GREEN FROGS might not be the best for reading aloud to a large group, but would be fun the look at one-on-one with a child.

1996. Review of The Green Frogs: A Korean Folktale Retold by Yumi Heo in Kirkus Reviews. 15 August.