Two fine books from Fitzhenry & Whiteside both star frogs. The title character of Gummy Toes, a grey tree frog, is watching some children play when he sees them exclaiming over a robin, then a kitten. Soon, he is vying for their attention: he peeps and trills, changes the colour of his skin, takes a magnificent leap. But nothing happens. Then he does something foolish that the children can’t ignore: hopping up to them, he uses his sticky feet to climb a glass jar. The children pop him into a terrarium and, delighted with his camouflaging abilities, throw raspberry jam and a red sock into the tank to see if he’ll turn red.

The pathos of the scene is marvellously drawn. We see a listless, dull-hued frog draped over a rock, thinking regretfully: “Old socks and jammy spoons were not fragrant like dew on the grass.” The children appear almost grotesque in their glee, their faces contorted with laughter. When Gummy Toes emerges from the crisis, it’s through his own cunning, not any compassion on the part of the children.

Sean Cassidy, who lives near Orangeville, Ontario, is the author of Good to Be Small and illustrator of The Chicken Cat and Ten Little Puppies. He paints beautiful, soft-coloured scenes, but the best thing about his pictures is the way they suggest ideas through perspective. For instance, in the opening scenes, when Gummy Toes still has his freedom, he strikes an imposing figure on the tree branch. Later, when he is dangling by one leg from the boy’s fingers, he looks suitably tiny and powerless. Cassidy’s main characters tend to have outsized eyes and foreheads, suggesting they are keen watchers and thinkers. So, I believe, are the children Cassidy writes and illustrates for.

Like Gummy Toes, Leon’s Song opens on a note of discontent. Leon is an old frog who wishes to be remembered for something great. The problem is, he’s a fearful creature, unlikely to stick his neck out. He can accept that he’s not the handsomest of frogs, or the best swimmer or jumper, but when he hears the mellifluous voice of his pond-mate Romeo, he longs to be able to sing like that and is inspired, “his heart swelling with possibility.”

If the theme of Gummy Toes is “be careful what you wish for,” Leon’s Song is a little softer, focusing in its lyrical way on inner beauty and hidden potential. Stephanie Simpson McLellan, author of The Chicken Cat, uses vibrant descriptions and poetic phrases (“tiny tadpoles blipped crazily along the surface like a million joyous raindrops”) to create a sense of majesty and drama. Dianna Bonder (the B.C.-based author of Accidental Alphabet) has painted friendly, often dreamy-looking frogs amid scenes of soft blues, greens, and browns. These full-page illustrations are remarkable for their sense of movement, their almost-palpable vibrations. Looking at the pictures, you can practically hear the aquatic chorus. A gentle call to action, Leon’s Song pairs nicely with the clever Gummy Toes, which advises restraint – on the part of frogs and children alike.