Three Dancing Frogs is a stunning book set on a night in the bush when a special performance is about to take place.

Frogs are not normally the animal that comes into mind when thinking about ballet, but this book nails it. Frogs get a bad reputation in fiction for being slimy creatures or goofy Kermits, but who’s to say they can’t be gracefull little dancers? I mean, they do have lovely long legs and I bet they are super flexible.

The story begins with an owl looking down over a pond to see a performance getting ready – one that features all kinds of Aussie animals from bats on flutes to an emu on a cello. But the main event is the ballet performance from the three little frogs. It is told in easy rhyming verse, which makes it fun to read out loud.

I also liked the musical element to the story with all the animal musicians, and the natural bush sounds from cicada’s to lightning in the ending. It helps to define the story and I liked the flow from a sweet start to a dramatic finish. The story felt magical, but also plausible, like you were peeking into the natural world where it’s a secret that animals put on dreamy shows with music and lily pad dancing.

The illustrations really make it super special and I think all the animals and the colours and the instruments are gorgeous. The native setting is extremely well captured and worked well with the whimsical writing.

Three Dancing Frogs is such a fabulous book, I think the illos really make it and I love reading it to my toddler, but I bet it would particularly suit any ballet (or frog!) lovers.

To grab yourself a copy of this book, click here!

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Title: Three Dancing Frogs

Author & Illustrator: Leigh Hardingham & Patrick Shirvington

Publisher: New Frontier Publishing

Published: 2020

Ages: 3+