Velthuijs is Back

Frog is Sad
                In his eleventh book starring Frog, Max Velthuijs has just written his most subtle and true of the lot. Frog is sad, as the title suggests. Rat does everything he can to cheer him up. The rest of the cast run when they hear laughter and frog is cured. Why was he so sad?, Rat wants to know. Frog doesn't know, he just was.
    This book rings true to me and to many little ones. They listen to this book with their small, serious faces and then they want to hear it again. They see anger come and go like a storm. Anger is an obvious emotion. But sadness is something that parents and grown ups can hide quite well. Children are encouraged to "cheer up". Having a "good cry" is something that adults experience. But as Frog shows us, little children can have a "good cry" too.
    Children are more complicated creatures than they're given credit for.  This story gets to the heart of a serious matter. Sadness is as valid as happiness. Four to seven year olds should enjoy this sombre and ultimately light hearted read.