Synopses & Reviews
"Frog Belly plants the idea that with some strategy, good communication, and goodwill, you can grow wonderful things." — PORTLAND PRESS HERALDOnce upon a time, in a gray endless place called Cementland, there lived a boy who wished to find a treasure. After searching through piles of toaster ovens and wet smelly socks, he spies a box filled with specks and a note that says, "Put these wondrous riches in the earth and enjoy." Horrified to learn that thieves are after his treasure, the boy scrounges in the junkyard and conjures a scarecrow-like creature to stand guard: Frog Belly Rat Bone, king and protector of the specks. With subtle tones and bursts of glowing color, Tim Erings surreal artwork and hand-lettered text exude all the whimsy of an inspired imagination — and the wonders of a natural world that awaits discovery, even in Cementland.
A NICK JR. FAMILY MAGAZINE Best Book of the Year
A New England Book Show Juvenile Category Winner
A New York Book Show Childrens Trade Hardcover Winner
Synopsis
With subtle, delicate tones, fantastical figures, and bursts of glowing color, the surreal artwork and hand-lettered text of Erings picture book debut exudes all the whimsy of an inspired imagination--and the wonders of a natural world that awaits discovery. Full color.
About the Author
Timothy Basil Ering says that THE STORY OF FROG BELLY RAT BONE was inspired by a visit to Descanso Gardens, a botanical garden in Pasadena, California, where there is a private garden for urban Los Angeles schoolchildren. "For as long as I can remember, I have loved to mix up words and phrases into silly little combinations that would make me laugh," he explains. "Id make up songs while meandering down the outer beach of Cape Cod to favorite fishing spots, and ‘Frog Belly Rat Bone was always a favorite string of nouns. Then one day in Pasadena, I sat at a tiny picnic table in the childrens garden and began to sketch the gardens scarecrow. I knew at that moment that Frog Belly Rat Bone had found a home." Timothy Basil Erings artwork has appeared in books, magazines, theater sets, private murals, and fine art galleries. A resident of Somerville, Massachusetts, he is enamored of the sea and has a passion for nature and the outdoors. This is his first picture book with Candlewick Press.