The simple tale carries a strong message, however, and should be helpful in explaining the cycles of life and death to young children.
One autumn day Frog discovers a blackbird lying motionless in the grass. Worried, he asks his friends what can be the matter. Very gently and simply, then animals begin to understand the meaning of death and the beauty of life in this moving story.
Reviews:
The hero of Frog in Love (1989) deals with another rite of passage after he finds a dead bird. Friend Pig thinks the bird is asleep, Duck wonders whether it's ill, but Hare explains: ``Everything dies.'' The four bury the bird, remember his lovely song--then go on to a happy afternoon celebrating life. The evening song of another blackbird confirms the message: life goes on. The quiet blend of curiosity, respect, and joy in Velthuijs's text is enhanced by the simplicity of his bright, beautifully designed art Kirkus Reviews
Frog is distressed: he has found a blackbird lying motionless on the ground. Hare determines that the bird is neither sleeping nor sick, but dead, and Frog and his friends sadly bury it. On the way home, their solemnity gives way to high spirits and an appreciation of life. Velthuijs ( Frog in Love ) invests his characters with a full range of expressions; they are simply drawn but immensely personable. The story itself, however, is somewhat flat; the curves of emotion it presents (from confusion to sadness to a renewed sense of life's wonders) seem forced rather than deeply felt, and may require an adult sensibility to interpret. Publishers Weekly