It’s Mine!

Leo Lionni (1996), Dragonfly Books

In the middle of Rainbow Pond there is a small island where three little frogs live. Milton, Rupert, and Lydia bicker constantly, arguing over who gets what on their tiny island. A large toad appears and tries to get them to stop quarreling, but they quickly forget his request when Milton finds a worm. Suddenly, a large storm appears and soon the water around them swallows up most of the land! The frogs try to cling to any rocks they can find, but only one remains. The three of them share it, holding on until the water recedes. Once the water is gone, they discover that the rock they had been clinging to was actually the toad! Grateful to have made it through and to have their island back, the four of them become friends and no longer bicker about who gets what.

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Talk with a child about this book

At the beginning of the story, the three frogs are constantly arguing and never get along. What could have one of them done in order to stop the fighting?

The toad was obviously very bothered by the bickering going on, but he still helped out the three frogs when they needed it. How do you think the toad felt when he did that?

At the beginning of the story, each frog claimed a part of the island: the earth, the water, or the air. At the end, the frogs and the toad share all of the parts of the island together. Do you think the frogs were happier at the beginning or the end of the story? Why?

How do you think the frogs felt when the water kept rising and they were running out of rocks to hold onto? What do you think mattered most to them then?