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Beware of the Frog
With deliciously ugly villains and a gasp-inducing ending, this quirky tale of the unexpected will have readers croaking with laughter.
Sweet old Mrs. Collywobbles lives on the edge of a big, dark, scary wood, so it’s a good thing that she has a pet frog to protect her. Too bad for the Greedy Goblin, the Smelly Troll, and the Giant Hungry Ogre, who don’t take this little amphibian seriously (GOBBLE)!
Sweet old Mrs. Collywobbles lives on the edge of a big, dark, scary wood, so it’s a good thing that she has a pet frog to protect her. Too bad for the Greedy Goblin, the Smelly Troll, and the Giant Hungry Ogre, who don’t take this little amphibian seriously (GOBBLE)!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2008
About the author
William Bee
71 books53 followersWilliam Bee was born in London but now lives in the English countryside. In addition to writing children’s books, he races a vintage sports car, is an international skier, and when at home tends his lawns and meadows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
April 14, 2017
A guard frog! Why didn't I think of that?
November 29, 2022
How did this nice(?) old lady end up living in this isolated house in a wood full of dangerous supernatural creatures, that's the backstory I want. Did she turn someone into a newt?
October 10, 2008
One of my favorites for storytelling this year--it goes with me everywhere! The trick is to oversell the retro style and the contrast between the too-sweet, repetitive style of the book, better setting up the ridiculous, startling, and outrageous surprises.
I find it works best with 1st - 3rd grades.
I find it works best with 1st - 3rd grades.
January 12, 2018
A fabulous story about Mrs. Collywobbles who lives all alone at the edge of a dark forest. The only thing she has to protect her is her pet frog. When scary things show up at her house the frog gobbles up the intruders! Mrs. Collywobbles ask her pet frog how she can repay him for protecting her. The frog asks for a kiss. When Mrs. Collywobbles obliges she finds herself turned into a frog! She isn't pleased about that!
January 16, 2009
Ok my favorite picture book this month. I loved the little old lady and her security frog. I now want a frog to protect me! It is simply but funny and sweet. This was too funny and will be one I will pull out to put in peoples hands over and over. Ages 4+
March 27, 2015
If your kids crack up at the Killer Rabbit sequence in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, than this book is comedy gold! I LOVED IT! We were all giggling. So sad that it appears to be out of print.
July 18, 2015
This is one of my all-time favorite picture books because I did NOT see the ending coming and it still delights me every time I read it.
January 3, 2020
this is the best book ever!! i love to teach my kids about cannibalism at a young age!! my kids loved it so much that they cried tears of joy when they read it!!! this should win the book of the year!!!❤️❤️❤️🌚🌚🌚🌝🌝🌝
September 19, 2009
I got a chance to read this little book when I went over to a friend's house to drop them off some apples from one of our apple trees. I read it while trying to ignore their youngest son who was taking one bite out of each apple and throwing them down the window well. I thought this was a cute little book that was very unique and fun to read. I will probably look at frogs differently for a little while.
September 12, 2012
Genre: PB17
A great picture book for older kids. This story starts out so sweet and simple, but as you get into the story you find surprise after surprise! This is a different story than readers are expecting when it starts, but the twists and turns are what make this story great! A perfect blend of sweet and funny all in 1 story. Great illustrations and the story written by William Bee is a page turner.
Three words to describe this book: shocking, fun, great
A great picture book for older kids. This story starts out so sweet and simple, but as you get into the story you find surprise after surprise! This is a different story than readers are expecting when it starts, but the twists and turns are what make this story great! A perfect blend of sweet and funny all in 1 story. Great illustrations and the story written by William Bee is a page turner.
Three words to describe this book: shocking, fun, great
March 8, 2009
Primary students love this colorful tale of little, timid Mrs. Collywobbles and her pet frog. The frog defends her from the denizens of the scary, dark wood. The children respond to the traditional repeating patterns that set up a surprise ending. The repetitious word phrases give a clue to the final twist. A fun, humorous read aloud for both reader and audience.
July 22, 2009
Had to read this twice, back to back for the girls. Oh, how I wish I had the gumption to use this one at storytime! Mrs. Collywobbles has a pet frog who alleviates the threat of creatures that go bump in the forest...ending is hysterical! Loved it!
December 8, 2014
This was so great! It's too bad they designed such an inauspicious cover, because I never would have picked this up (even for free at the library). Luckily, my daughter has a good eye and snagged it. Very fun, very different.
July 15, 2008
Go read this book now. Jane just gave it to me to read. It is the best of our twisted storytime genre. Very very nice.
November 7, 2009
Too funny!
May 22, 2019
Delightfully wicked story in the tradition of Roald Dahl wherein a pet guard frog protects his mistress from such horrible creatures as a goblin, troll, and ogre. Each sings a little nonsense rhyme and each meets a terrible fate. A twist at the end may or may not be expected.
My one complaint is that sweet little Mrs. Collywobbles has four distinct windows on her house, and she moves from one to another, hiding from the monsters. But she only goes through three before the end of the story! I need either another monster or one fewer window!
My one complaint is that sweet little Mrs. Collywobbles has four distinct windows on her house, and she moves from one to another, hiding from the monsters. But she only goes through three before the end of the story! I need either another monster or one fewer window!
January 3, 2020
This book has a amazing cannibalism...YES!! My kids love this book. They said when they grow up they want to guard queen elizabeths castle and eat any visitors. This book is an amazing influence on all children and should read it!!
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May 17, 2023I was NOT expecting the Frog to do that. Nor did I expect what happened at the end.
I read it in the shared office room and sat there alone with my mouth open. I need to have the other associates read this. I want to see their reactions.
I read it in the shared office room and sat there alone with my mouth open. I need to have the other associates read this. I want to see their reactions.
November 2, 2016
We have read Beware of the Frog by William Bee so many times this week, Squishy and I now have it memorized. I need to preface this review by saying something important; It is a very strange book. I am not attracted to it at all, but squishy loves it. If you look at the cover, you think “Oh! A cute book about a frog.” insert sweet happy face. We love frogs, right? -Nope! Again, I put my “adult think” away, and search for what Squishy is getting out of this book.
The illustrations are whimsical and fun. They kind of give off a 1970’s Holly Hobby vibe, but with a slightly weird twist. The little old Lady “Mrs. Collywobbles” looks as sweet as spun sugar, and her pet frog looks conspicuously simple and ordinary.
So if you can put your "adult think" away, this book gets a much better rating.
The repetitive nature of the story, and hilarious rhyming tag lines held Squishy’s interest over and over and over again. Each of the dastardly characters has a rhyming verse they declare, explaining their evil doings. Squishy has them all memorized now, and repeats them all.day.long. The writing is deceptively simple. The rich language ebbs and flows over you, drawing you in and setting up for several big surprises. Seriously, I was not expecting the ending AT ALL! I love hearing Squishy repeat the words as I read, and laugh hysterically at what happens to the monsters…(no spoilers)
Excerpts from my full review found at: https://frogs-snails-geckotails.com/2...
The illustrations are whimsical and fun. They kind of give off a 1970’s Holly Hobby vibe, but with a slightly weird twist. The little old Lady “Mrs. Collywobbles” looks as sweet as spun sugar, and her pet frog looks conspicuously simple and ordinary.
So if you can put your "adult think" away, this book gets a much better rating.
The repetitive nature of the story, and hilarious rhyming tag lines held Squishy’s interest over and over and over again. Each of the dastardly characters has a rhyming verse they declare, explaining their evil doings. Squishy has them all memorized now, and repeats them all.day.long. The writing is deceptively simple. The rich language ebbs and flows over you, drawing you in and setting up for several big surprises. Seriously, I was not expecting the ending AT ALL! I love hearing Squishy repeat the words as I read, and laugh hysterically at what happens to the monsters…(no spoilers)
Excerpts from my full review found at: https://frogs-snails-geckotails.com/2...
January 23, 2013
Pictures: Let's get one thing straight. I chose this book. There's a certain feel to the illustrations that remind me of 'Rosie's Walk' and what I associate with my childhood. In a way some of the humour in the pictures also pay homage to Pat Hutchinson's book, but there are a lot more words in this book. Apart from the colour scheme the pictures and creatures really are William Bee's own. There is a lot of detail in each illustration, so that the non reading child can infer a lot from context and find something new in them each time.
Text: The words tell the story of Mrs Collywobbles and her pet frog. The Amazon synopsis practically tells it all, but basically each character is introduced and has their own particular rhyme and then they come to a sudden and surprising end.
Rereadability: So all in all given the little rhymes which could often be heard around the house this holiday (it wasn't always the bubba) and the intricate illustrations, there is a lot to get out of this book.
The three year old test: I'm not sure if the nightmares started after this book or before... OK I'm joking, but let's make this clear, for the child who is starting to understand fear and becoming scared of things, this is not the best BEDTIME read. At every other part of the day it's perfect. And to be absolutely sure you get this, the reason I chose this was because the ending made me laugh out loud. There is no writing down to the three year olds and it's rather irreverent fun.
Text: The words tell the story of Mrs Collywobbles and her pet frog. The Amazon synopsis practically tells it all, but basically each character is introduced and has their own particular rhyme and then they come to a sudden and surprising end.
Rereadability: So all in all given the little rhymes which could often be heard around the house this holiday (it wasn't always the bubba) and the intricate illustrations, there is a lot to get out of this book.
The three year old test: I'm not sure if the nightmares started after this book or before... OK I'm joking, but let's make this clear, for the child who is starting to understand fear and becoming scared of things, this is not the best BEDTIME read. At every other part of the day it's perfect. And to be absolutely sure you get this, the reason I chose this was because the ending made me laugh out loud. There is no writing down to the three year olds and it's rather irreverent fun.
February 17, 2013
This fairytale is seriously fractured. Mrs. Collywobbles has inadvisably chosen to make her home at the edge of a big, dark, scary forest, and her only protection is her pet frog. He is more than capable, however, and gobbles up any horrors that pop out of the woods, while his mistress hides inside her house. When all of the terrors have been safely digested, Mrs. C. gives her frog a kiss at his request and presto changeo...she's a frog, too. She doesn't look very pleased about that. Guess what happens next?
Moral: Don't mess with magically transformed old-lady frogs.
Bizarre and goofy with horrible, horrible monsters (of doom). I think the frog should have expanded in size as he consumed monster after monster.
Moral: Don't mess with magically transformed old-lady frogs.
Bizarre and goofy with horrible, horrible monsters (of doom). I think the frog should have expanded in size as he consumed monster after monster.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2013
The first time we read this it scared Melanie a little and I was unhappy that I let her pick it as a bedtime story before I read it. But, the next morning she was talking about it and asking about it. All week she has wanted to read it every day. Today she took it to school for her first show-and-tell.
I still don't really like it. Especially the ending, which has no real relevance to the story and doesn't come across as a joke to kids who don't know the princess and frog story.
I do like talking about the book with Melanie though - it has been interesting listening to her try to decide if the frog is "good" or "bad".
I still don't really like it. Especially the ending, which has no real relevance to the story and doesn't come across as a joke to kids who don't know the princess and frog story.
I do like talking about the book with Melanie though - it has been interesting listening to her try to decide if the frog is "good" or "bad".
June 7, 2009
weeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiirrrrrrddddd. I was drawn to the illustrations and they were cool but this story is odd and I have to admit that the ending shocked me. My son didn't seem to be bothered by it but for some reason I was. I kind of didn't like it. Too dark and weird for me. I read another review that said this one would be good to add to a collection of really bizarre stories and I agree. If you were doing a small study or unit on the bizarre, this book is for you.
June 8, 2015
A great storytime choice for school-age--or maybe a lap-read, too. I can hear the monsters singing their ditties and the frog taking care of things. And I certainly didn't expect that ending! Kids will love it.
(And way to re-use the illustrations!)
6/8/15 Read in Fitness Hop 'N' Harmonies. I think it was the favorite of the 3 I read, especially the ending. The rest of the book they sat through. But that ending definitely surprised them.
(And way to re-use the illustrations!)
6/8/15 Read in Fitness Hop 'N' Harmonies. I think it was the favorite of the 3 I read, especially the ending. The rest of the book they sat through. But that ending definitely surprised them.
September 5, 2012
PB 23. I loved this book. Was it bizarre? Yes. Did the ending make me feel weird? Yes. However, I found myself completely in love with the illustrations and that attitude of the writing, and I think K-3 children would feel the same way. This book is incredibly well done, but very strange. I think this would make a hilarious read aloud.
February 14, 2019
Still laughing at this one. I'm not sure if I want to read it to my students right away or wait and read it on Valentines day with Tadpole's promise.
January 4, 2024
Everyone knows that frogs are the best pets to guard your house, right?
Old Mrs. Collywobbles thinks so! The frog will gobble up any dangerous creatures who dare knock on her door. What sort of dangerous creatures? A Greedy Goblin, a Smelly Troll, and a Giant Hungry Ogre all go up against the frog. Who will win?
This book is funny, with interesting illustrations and silly rhymes and songs.
Hannah D. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
Old Mrs. Collywobbles thinks so! The frog will gobble up any dangerous creatures who dare knock on her door. What sort of dangerous creatures? A Greedy Goblin, a Smelly Troll, and a Giant Hungry Ogre all go up against the frog. Who will win?
This book is funny, with interesting illustrations and silly rhymes and songs.
Hannah D. | Marathon County Public Library
See this book in our catalog.
November 9, 2018
The illustrations of this book are amazing! That was one of the main reasons I picked it off the shelf! The story is really funny, and a little creepy. The grade level for this would be around 3rd grade, but I think older children will enjoy this silly story. It is about an old women who has a pet frog, and the frog protects her from creepy trolls that come out of the forest. The frog did all of this because he loved the old women, so in the end her turned her into a frog! This could be a great read aloud book, paired with asking students questions about the book.
December 13, 2020
“Beware of The Frog,” by William Bee is a hilarious fairytale. Mrs. Collywobbles lives alone by the woods, her only protector is her pet frog. As she hides in her house from three different monsters, the frog swallows them.
This would be an excellent book to add to the classroom because it adds characteristics of imagination, humor, and excitement to storytime. It will keep students on the edge of their seats wondering what is going to happen next and the end of the story is a huge twist.
This would be an excellent book to add to the classroom because it adds characteristics of imagination, humor, and excitement to storytime. It will keep students on the edge of their seats wondering what is going to happen next and the end of the story is a huge twist.
March 23, 2018
This is a pretty funny book. Kind of a retelling of the frog prince at the end, but way better. Mrs. Collywobbles' pet frog guards her home against all kinds of terrible monsters (the illustrations of whom are pretty scary looking!). Kids would need to be old enough to sit through a fair bit of text, not to be scared of the creepy monsters, and to get the humour. 5+ would love it, I think.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews