Beware of the Frog

As with Bee’s excellent debut, Whatever, this is a truly post-modern picture book. The author takes the traditional ingredients of European folk tales – dark woods, thatched cottages, kindly little old ladies, ogres, trolls, goblins and, yes… frogs and recycles them for today’s knowing, irony-conscious child. Our kindly old lady keeps a ‘Beware of the Frog’ sign on her garden gate. Those creatures that emerge from the dark woods ignore this sign at their peril.

Bee’s graphic style is cool, retro and sophisticated – perfectly in tune with this detached humour. Production and design are of high quality. If it’s warmth and humanity you are looking for in a book, you won’t find it here but it’s very funny and the ending will make you laugh out loud.