Order and Activity Sheets | Co-written with Mo Willems | Disney-Hyperion

Kirkus Best Books of 2021

a PARENTS magazine Best Children’s Books 2021

2021 Nerdy Book Club “Nerdie” Award winner

Goat likes to lead. Goat also likes Frog to follow. When Goat jumps on it, Frog does, too. Soon Goat and Frog are on it, along it, above it, inside it, beside it, around it, and under it—phew! How can their friendship get through it? A book of escalating prepositional play and a story about what to do when a game stops being fun. 

“Prepositions pile up to dizzying heights in this early reader extravaganza by Tsurumi (Sharko and Hippo), part of Mo Willems’s Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series. The contest between Frog and Goat, drafted in clean, sure lines, begins as a friendly game. Goat perches theatrically on a stump: “I’m ON it!” Frog, in an adjacent pond, shows interest, finger to frog lips, then leaps onto a rock: “I’m on it, too!” Soon, Goat is posing on the stump with a watering can while wearing an old tire, hula hoop–style (“I’m on it and beside it AND inside it!”). Frog, whose pond produces more challenging objects to work with (a beaver, a crate of swimming toys), shows signs of anxiety. Goat poses with two potted sunflowers (“I’m on it and BETWEEN these!”), while Frog works with two fat, angry-looking fish (“I’m on it... and between these, too!?”). Readers can identify the prepositions and work out how they apply to the growing pile of props, but the story’s also about how to exit gracefully from a situation that’s getting out of control. High energy, punchy sentences, and focused action put this tale right on top.”-Publishers Weekly

⭐“In Tsurumi’s first foray into early readers she pares down her energetic, colorful cartoon style to the bare essentials without losing any of the madcap fun. Using fewer than 80 repeated words (over 12 of which are prepositions), the clever text instructs, delights, and revels in its own playfulness. Color-coded speech bubbles (orange for Goat, green for Frog) help match the dialogue with each speaker. Like others in the Elephant and Piggie Like Reading series, Elephant and Piggie metafictively bookend the main narrative with hilariously on-the-nose commentary. Whether in hand or on shelf, this one’s sure to make a splash anywhere and everywhere.” - starred Kirkus

“When Goat leaps atop a tree stump (“I’m ON it!”), Frog matches the feat by balancing on a rock (“I’m on it, too!”), and the game is on. Goat grabs a tire and is now on the stump and beside the tire; Toad procures a pail, and now is on the rock and beside the pail. Soon Goat is balancing under umbrellas, between flower pots, above a ladder, through a hose, and Frog . . . well, Frog’s a bit of a mess, weighed down by laundry basket, a xylophone, rain boots, etc., until finally the amphibian is “OVER it.” The latest in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading series, this holds true to the color-coded word bubbles and frenetic energy characteristic of Willems and the series, but this one has a bit more bite to it, with Goat and Frog echoing P. D. Eastman’s canine pair, happy-go-lucky Ted and bumbling, not-so-fortunate Fred, in their slightly competitive friendship. The directional and relational concepts here will likely already be familiar to beginning readers, but Goat and Frog’s antics make a humorous refresher, and even older readers will giggle at the increasing absurdity of the balancing act. Fans of goofy pal pairings will appreciate these new amusing buddies. KQG”- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

⭐“The newest title in this series explores prepositions in a delightful way … Tsurumi uses brightly colored mixed media to grab readers’ attentions. Each item is distinctive and clear and adds to the silliness of the story. Orange speech bubbles are used for Goat and green for Frog, making it easy to tell who is talking. Whimsical lines illustrate all of the movement, including a delightful loop for Goat’s handstand and shaky lines to depict Frog’s instability … Highly recommended for all beginning reader collections.”-Starred School Library Journal