This light hearted adventure featuring an evil toad who wants to rule the world being foiled by a team of brave amphibians has serious underflying themes about the natural world, sustainability, and belonging, all delivered with maximum humour.
The Frog Squad consists of Tony Rowley, a green tree frog, Nelson Hewitt, a black rain frog, Quito Gonzalez, an Ecuadorean glass frog and Jilly Gilly, a corroboree frog. Eam team member is given a page describing their role, special skills and frog facts about their species. Their headquarters are the Lily Pad (location hidden) and they get about in the Helifrogter known as The Dragonfly. Their nemesis is Professor Cain, the evil mastermind behind TOADS (The Organisation of Amphibious Devious Scoundrels). He gets around in a giant submersible called The Rubber Ducky. When the TOADS hijack a tanker filled with ice cream the Frog Squad leap into action to prevent a marine disaster. Will they succeed?
There is plenty of energy, word play and zany action in this joke filled story which is yes, familiar and predictable, but also highly entertaining for its target audience. The hilarious illustrations do much to carry the story and give the characters expression and individuality.
Kate and Jol Temple have done a great job in keeping the text simple but action packed, maintaining interest and increasing tension with a fast moving plot while informing the reader of issues relating to marine life in a non preachy way.
The target audience of age 6+ readers will certainly enjoy these Frog Squad adventures and look forward to the next in the series. Particularly suitable for readers not yet ready for a lot of text.
This light hearted adventure featuring an evil toad who wants to rule the world being foiled by a team of brave amphibians has serious underflying themes about the natural world, sustainability, and belonging, all delivered with maximum humour.
