Frogs are an endless source of fascination, especially when looked at through the lenses of Nic Bishops cameras. Amazing images show the beauty and diversity of frogs from around the world, and simple text conveys basic information about these amphibians. Full color. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Starred Review. Gr 3 5 In this companion volume to Nic Bishop Spiders (Scholastic, 2007), the photographer takes a nifty look at frogs. Physical characteristics, diet, reproduction, and the development of egg to tadpole to froglet are included in the clear text and super-duper photos. A nice personal touch is an enthusiastic author's note, wherein Bishop describes his methods and the pleasure of pursuing frogs to photograph. He even discusses "training" a frog to catch his leap for a fat caterpillar on a leaf over the water. Group this with Jim Arnosky's simpler, handsome All About Frogs (Scholastic, 2002) and/or Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's equally colorful Flashy Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs (Walker, 1997) for a neat ranid roundup. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Bishop, who illustrated Cowley's Red-Eyed Tree Frog (1999) and his own Nic Bishop Spiders (2007), presents a number of large, striking photos illustrating a clearly written discussion of the physical characteristics and habits of frogs. Dominating the book are Bishop's remarkably fine color photographs of frogs from around the world. One dual-foldout spread carries a stop-action scene showing five stages of a frog's motion as it leaps into the air and dives into water. Even the images that are magnified to many times life-size, such as the underwater shot of a tadpole in the clutches of a predatory water bug, are exceptionally clear. Another remarkable shot shows the underside of a tiny glass frog with its internal organs visible through its transparent skin. In an appended, illustrated note, Bishop relates some of his encounters with the frogs he photographed. Even libraries with dozens of frog books on the shelf should make room for this eye-catching volume. Phelan, Carolyn. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.