Stewart, Melissa Frog or Toad?

Stewart, Melissa        Frog or Toad?           

Enslow            2011   24p     21.26  978-0-7660-3682-6

elem                Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  VG-BNes         Students often

have trouble identifying similar animals.  This book clearly illustrates and

describes the principal differences between frogs and toads     Frog or Toad is

clearly organized, informative and pictorially supportive of the text,making

this a handy tool for elementary school teachers in a literacy class or in a

science class.   Not only does this book contain all of the aforementioned

features, it also teaches several text structures for the study of nonfiction. 

For example, the concept of compare/contrast is directly instructed on every 2-

page spread, with the frog on the left side and the toad on the right.  Another

text structure which jumps off the pages is the concept of cause and effect,

especially when author Melissa Stewart shows that the frog╒s strong back legs

support its jumping and swimming whereas the toad╒s short back legs enable it to

take small hops only.  A resourceful elementary teacher will use this entire set

of books to show how closely related creatures have evolved to meet the needs of

an entire population, especially on the pages where she compares the frog╒s

upper teeth to the toad╒s absence of teeth.  An extra feature at the end of the

book presents a circular graphic organizer which creatively summarizes all of

the new information for the student.  The book ends with pictures of unique

frogs and toads, a section entitled, ╥Learn More╙ and a list of Web Sites to

consult for additional information.             ╥Which Animal is Which╙ compares the

frog and toad,  the butterfly and moth, the insect and spider, the salamander

and lizard, and the shark and dolphin.  A variety of characteristics of two

similar animals are contrasted & supported by pictures and a summary of

information.   Squaresky, Martha