Story Summary
Full of animals, action, and colorful pictures, Jump, Frog, Jump! is for listening, talking, and moving. A simple repeated phrase keeps toddlers and preschoolers involved in the action of this story.
Talk Before Reading
The first time you show your child this book, ask him to name the animals on the cover. The frog is front and center, and easy to spot.
What other animals can you find?
In addition to the frog, help your child find a fly, a fish, a snake, and a turtle.
Talk While Reading
This is a cumulative tale–each page adds another layer to the story, while repeating the previous actions.
With the rhythm of the words, you might find yourself reading fast, but emphasize the animal names and point to their pictures to help your child stay with the story.
This is the turtle that slide into the pond
and ate the snake that dropped from a branch
and swallowed the fish
that swam after the frog
that was under the fly that climbed out of the water.
After each encounter with another animal, pause and get ready for the favorite phrase and some action from your child:
“Jump, frog, jump!”
After a few readings of this book, your child will anticipate every chance to jump along with the frog!
Talk Later
Book connection. Frogs show up in a lot of children’s books. (They are green, low to the ground, and full of surprising action–kid-friendly traits, for sure!) The next time you run across a frog in another book, give your child a chance to recall Jump, Frog, Jump!
This new story is about a frog! Do you remember another book we liked about a frog?
Nature connection. Depending where you live, share a conversation about frogs in nature when out for a walk:
Do you think this pond would be a good place for a frog to live? Remember Jump, Frog, Jump!
Action connection. If your little one enjoys jumping, borrow the pattern of the repeated phrase “jump, frog, jump” and substitute his or her name:
Jump, Emma, jump!
If your child enjoyed this, continue the game with other actions from the story:
Swim, Emma, swim!
Try a few action words not found in the story, too: dance, wave, stomp, clap, and march should be a good start– add some words new to your child, too. This little word game has plenty of action and fun for everyone!
Book
Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan. Pictures by Byron Barton. Greenwillow Books. 1989
