Saturday, May 28, 2011

Frog Went A-Courtin'

By John Langstaff (1955)
Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky





In this book Langstaff has taken an old Scottish folktale and written down so that the lore may continue into the future generations here in America. In the story a frog wishes to marry a mouse, and a whole bunch of other critters join in the celebration. That is, until a cat crashes the party and sends characters running.

It is a cute story that lends itself to a younger audience. I can envision this tale being converted into some sort of theatrical experience, either with children actors or possible puppets. There is a small musical tune in the back of the book, if you wish to sing the story.

In the book the author mentions how the story has changed over time. People will forget parts of the tale and simply add in their own events. Tis opens a great opportunity for a creative writing experience for a young classroom. Perhaps each student could add their own little piece to the story until your class has made a tale all their own.

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