Froggy Went A-Courtin' - Hardcover

Tyler, Gillian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763623067 ISBN 13: 9780763623067

Publisher: Candlewick, 2004

Synopsis

The popular romantic ballad has been freshly translated into a lyrical text and illustrated with the delicate art of Gillian Tyler.

Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride,
Sword and pistol by his side.
He rode up to Miss Mousie's door,
Where he had often been before.

For four hundred years, young listeners have raptly followed the adventures of Froggy as he woos his true love, Miss Mouse, and prepares for the wedding to follow. Now a new generation of children is invited to the nuptials, where they'll meet Uncle Rat, a turtledove who brings her love, a bumblebee, a nimble flea, and all the others who gather to celebrate the most musical of marriages. In this beautiful presentation, metallic gold type sets off wispy, finely detailed illustrations by acclaimed artist Gillian Tyler. "And if you want any more, you can sing it yourself! Um-hum! Um-hum!"

About this title

About the Author:

Gillian Tyler previously worked as a natural history artist and has illustrated two well-received picture books, THE SNAIL HOUSE and TREASURE HUNT, both written by Allan Ahlberg. She especially enjoyed working on FROGGY WENT A-COURTIN' because the events of her real life unexpectedly mirrored the events in the story. As she drew and imagined the courtship of Froggy and Miss Mouse, she happened to meet someone, fall in love, and marry. She says of her characters that she only hopes that "their marriage is as happy as ours!"

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 3 - Tyler's elegantly illustrated version of a popular song contains many traditional verses and a few new ones. The text is divided into five sections, the titles of which appear in hand-written script: "The Courtship," "The Proposal," "The Wedding," "The Guests," and "The Honeymoon." The story begins with Froggy riding off to court Miss Mousie. After getting the approval of her Uncle Rat, a wedding is planned. Guests at the festive affair run the gamut from a white moth to a garter snake to a nimble flea. When the ceremony comes to a swift end with the arrival of an old tomcat, the tale concludes with a trip to France "And that's the end of this romance." A brief introduction to the song is provided along with directions on how to interject "Um-hum! Um-hum!" if readers decide to sing it, and the title page shows three lines of music as an aid. All of the text is printed in gold ink, which adds to the graceful blend of words and pictures. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations have a Tasha Tudoresque look to them with their extremely fine details and old-fashioned mood. A welcome adaptation of this classic tune. - Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0763623067
• ISBN 13: 9780763623067
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Tyler Gillian