Boris the Boastful Frog - Karen Hodgson

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Author: Karen Hodgson

Illustrator: Steve Cox
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Rating: 4.25 stars.

A funny little story about a boastful frog whose vanity leads to a disastrous consequence.

Boris the frog considers himself the best at everything – croaking, hopping, swimming,… The problem is that he is actually very good at everything he attempts. But his constant attempt to brag about his prowess ends up alienating not just his frog friends but every animal around the pond. Until one fine day, a newcomer visit the pond and he has an ability that Boris doesn’t. Will Boris learn his lesson?

This would be a great story for kids to understand the proverb, 'Pride comes before a fall.' Never does vanity lead to any positive outcome. The narration shows how Boris ends up all alone midway the story and by the end, it is, literally, “the end” for him.

The story is aimed at readers aged 3-6, and the language as well as the pictures will work wonderfully for this audience. The writing incorporates a variety of animals and situations, thus making this a great story for read-alouds at bedtime or in school.

The illustrations are amazing and suit the tone of the story well. I especially appreciate the illustrator for sketching what could have been a traumatic scene in a hilarious manner.

All in all, a nice story that incorporates a valuable life lesson in an easy-to-understand format. Recommended.

My thanks to Rosen Publishing, Windmill Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Boris the Boastful Frog”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

NOTE TO ADULTS: Parents/Teachers picking this up for kids should know that Boris doesn’t survive his bragging – he literally blows up at the end in a gooey mess! But the manner in which his death is drawn is not that gory, and kids (hopefully) won’t find it scary. Plus, Boris is an easy character to hate, so his death won’t lead to tears. But just in case death is a sensitive topic with your child, please be aware of this as a possible trigger.

Just in case it helps, my dad used to narrate a similar story to me at bedtime. The only difference was that there were two frogs and one of them exploded at the end in his attempt to puff himself up as big as possible. I always used to laugh at that ending, more so because of my dad’s attempts to show the “puffed-up frog” by his actions. Narration and funny actions will make a difference in the experience of this story.

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