Plot Summary
While little frog, with his hands on his hips in determined stubbornness, proclaims that he no longer wants to be a frog, Daddy frog handles the news with the unperturbed control of a father who has been here before. As the petulant amphibian explores possible identities that he might adopt, Dad is there to remind him of who he truly is. explores with hilarity the drawbacks and benefits of being yourself.
Personal Reaction
I adore the father's stoic reaction to each new, ridiculous suggestion that little frog throws out. I can picture Dad's eyes rolling at each proclamation.
Memorable Literary Element
The end rhyme is appealing, especially to children, whom this book targets with a little-known story of the White House. Repetition brings attention to important words, such as "hands First, the word choice is exceptional. It’s precise, which makes every ounce of this text come alive in a reader’s mind. In addition, end rhyme, repetition, and list-like writing abound throughout this book.
Illustrations
Illustrations are simple, yet bold and full of expression. While little frog, with his hands on his hips in determined stubbornness, proclaims that he doesn't want to be a frog anymore, Daddy frog handles the news with the unperturbed control of a father who has been here before
While little frog, with his hands on his hips in determined stubbornness, proclaims that he no longer wants to be a frog, Daddy frog handles the news with the unperturbed control of a father who has been here before. As the petulant amphibian explores possible identities that he might adopt, Dad is there to remind him of who he truly is. explores with hilarity the drawbacks and benefits of being yourself.
Personal Reaction
I adore the father's stoic reaction to each new, ridiculous suggestion that little frog throws out. I can picture Dad's eyes rolling at each proclamation.
Memorable Literary Element
The end rhyme is appealing, especially to children, whom this book targets with a little-known story of the White House. Repetition brings attention to important words, such as "hands First, the word choice is exceptional. It’s precise, which makes every ounce of this text come alive in a reader’s mind. In addition, end rhyme, repetition, and list-like writing abound throughout this book.
Illustrations
Illustrations are simple, yet bold and full of expression. While little frog, with his hands on his hips in determined stubbornness, proclaims that he doesn't want to be a frog anymore, Daddy frog handles the news with the unperturbed control of a father who has been here before
Reviews/Awards
Booklist - In a closing author’s note essential to a clear understanding of the story, Smith explains that when America was a new country and the president was in need of a residence, there were not enough workers. So the government sought slaves. Rented as property, / slave hands labor / as diggers of stone, / sawyers, / and bricklayers. At times, the rhymed verse sustains a cadence that echoes that of swinging axes; other times, the rhythm is a bit clunky, and the slant rhyme feels unintentional. Rising above these issues is Cooper’s muted but powerful illustrations, which convey the enormity of the task as well as the strength, dignity, and pride with which the slaves approached their work. Despite being in chains, several of the enslaved workers appear to be singing. With each turn of the page, the slave hands gain new skills, which ultimately earn them money to buy their freedom. This is a story that deserves to be told, courtesy of a duo of Coretta Scott King Award winners. Grades 2-4. --Austin, Patricia --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Publisher's Weekly - Two Coretta Scott King Award winners pool their substantial talents in a somber tribute to the slave laborers who helped build the White House. Smith (Stars in the Shadows) emphasizes the toll that the work takes on the slaves’ hands and bodies (“Slave hands swing axes/ twelve hours a day,/ but slave owners take/ slave hands’ pay”) and takes the time to give names to these “Nameless, faceless/ daughters and sons,” forgotten by history. In gauzy scenes dominated by a sepia palette, Cooper (These Hands) spotlights the laborers’ hands, but their faces—which project resilience, exhaustion, and even anger—have much to say, too. There’s a slight upswing in tone as Smith notes that the skills the slaves acquired opened new possibilities (“Skilled hands earn/ one shilling per day,/ reaching slave hands closer/ to freedom with pay”), but there’s little joy evident when the completed White House is unveiled. A grim reminder that in America’s early decades, freedom didn’t come cheap for many, and that our most venerated symbols, institutions, and forebears are not without flaws. Ages 5–8. Agent: Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency. (Jan.)
"An excellent title that provides an admirably accurate picture of slavery in America for younger readers."
-KIRKUS Review
Booklist - In a closing author’s note essential to a clear understanding of the story, Smith explains that when America was a new country and the president was in need of a residence, there were not enough workers. So the government sought slaves. Rented as property, / slave hands labor / as diggers of stone, / sawyers, / and bricklayers. At times, the rhymed verse sustains a cadence that echoes that of swinging axes; other times, the rhythm is a bit clunky, and the slant rhyme feels unintentional. Rising above these issues is Cooper’s muted but powerful illustrations, which convey the enormity of the task as well as the strength, dignity, and pride with which the slaves approached their work. Despite being in chains, several of the enslaved workers appear to be singing. With each turn of the page, the slave hands gain new skills, which ultimately earn them money to buy their freedom. This is a story that deserves to be told, courtesy of a duo of Coretta Scott King Award winners. Grades 2-4. --Austin, Patricia --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Publisher's Weekly - Two Coretta Scott King Award winners pool their substantial talents in a somber tribute to the slave laborers who helped build the White House. Smith (Stars in the Shadows) emphasizes the toll that the work takes on the slaves’ hands and bodies (“Slave hands swing axes/ twelve hours a day,/ but slave owners take/ slave hands’ pay”) and takes the time to give names to these “Nameless, faceless/ daughters and sons,” forgotten by history. In gauzy scenes dominated by a sepia palette, Cooper (These Hands) spotlights the laborers’ hands, but their faces—which project resilience, exhaustion, and even anger—have much to say, too. There’s a slight upswing in tone as Smith notes that the skills the slaves acquired opened new possibilities (“Skilled hands earn/ one shilling per day,/ reaching slave hands closer/ to freedom with pay”), but there’s little joy evident when the completed White House is unveiled. A grim reminder that in America’s early decades, freedom didn’t come cheap for many, and that our most venerated symbols, institutions, and forebears are not without flaws. Ages 5–8. Agent: Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency. (Jan.)
"An excellent title that provides an admirably accurate picture of slavery in America for younger readers."
-KIRKUS Review
Promotion Idea
Focus: American History; Slavery
Read aloud Brick by Brick and engage students in a discussion about the history of our country. How were slaves involved in building one of our iconic residences? Why weren’t machines used to build the White House as they would be today? How were slaves an integral part of the building of our country?
Focus: American History; Slavery
Read aloud Brick by Brick and engage students in a discussion about the history of our country. How were slaves involved in building one of our iconic residences? Why weren’t machines used to build the White House as they would be today? How were slaves an integral part of the building of our country?
ACTIVITY: Make your own bricks, with directions.