Frog and Toad Are Friends

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EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

Northeast Childrens Theatre Company

Winter/Spring 2014 ! 3

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AAABOUTBOUTBOUT THETHETHE AAAUTHORUTHORUTHOR OFOFOF THETHETHE BBBOOKSOOKSOOKS, A, ARNOLDRNOLDRNOLD LLLOBELOBELOBEL:::

Arnold Lobel wrote and illustrated many, many books during his lifetime. His drawings of cats, mice, pigs, and other animals are favorites of children everywhere. Arnold grew up in Schenectady, New York, where he lived with his grandparents. When he was young he was often sick, and missed many days in the kindergarten, first and second grades. When he came back to school in third grade he told stories and drew pictures to illustrate them to enter- tain his classmates. He found this to be a good way to make friends. Arnold once said that taking books out of the library was one of the things he loved to do most when he was a child. As a teenager he was still interested in children's books, and when he went to art school he listed "illustrating" as his main interest. At first most of his work was illustrating other authors' books, but eventually he began to write his own. When he graduated from art school, he married Anita Kempler, and had two children, Adam and Adrianne. (Adrianne Lobel helped create the show you will see, designing the original Broadway sets and helping to shape the show with the composer and lyricist.) Arnold’s first famous book was Frog and Toad are Friends. The book was funny and tender and won immediate acclaim. It was named as a Caldecott Honor book, among other honors. But the Frog and Toad books were just the beginning of a long list of early readers written and illustrated by this talented man. Like the first, they are made up of short chapters and contain lovable and slightly wacky characters! http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3077

A PA PREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW OFOFOF “A Y“A YEAREAREAR WITHWITHWITH FFFROGROGROG ANDANDAND TTTOADOADOAD”””

Frog and Toad are best friends. We meet them as they wake up from their long winter's nap, called hibernation, to begin another year together. Throughout the year they do many fun things like baking cookies, going swimming, flying a kite, and sledding down a snowy hill. Frog is always happy and positive. But Toad can be grumpy, especially when his mailbox is empty. Frog tries to cheer up Toad by writing him a letter and giving it to Snail to deliver A.S.A.P., but doesn’t realize how long the delivery will take! Frog and Toad are joined by the rest of the animal gang and have fun together all year long. Sometimes they are sad and sometimes they get angry, but in the end they always remember that they are best friends who care about each other very much.

Frog and Toad on Broadway!

A hit on Broadway, A Year with Frog and Toad was nominated for three Tony Awards in 2003: Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score.

The show is truly a family affair; the stage musical was adapted from Arnold Lobel’s award winning children’s stories by his daughter Adrianne Lobel, and the book, music, and lyrics were written by brothers Robert and Willie Reale.

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gentlemen — that the actors would wear their An interview with Adrianne Lobel, taken from own faces, not big rubber heads. Then I saw a the StageNOTES study guide who produced Frog and Toad on Broadway. show at the New Victory [theater] when it first opened, and I sat looking at the theater the Adrianne Lobel is the set designer of A Year whole evening thinking: "This is it! This is where With Frog and Toad. She is also the daughter of we must do a musical of Frog and Toad." It was Arnold Lobel, the author of the original Frog and the old vaudeville quality of the house that Toad books. Here she speaks about her relation- helped me come up with the idea for the ship to the characters and her role in developing theatrical adaptation. If you think of it, Frog and the show. Toad are like Fred Astaire (Frog) and Edward Everett Horton (Toad), or Bing Crosby (Frog) and StageNOTESª: It’s been said that you were Bob Hope (Toad). I thought: "a lot of soft shoe — partly responsible for inspiring your father to Babitt and the Bromide–type stuff with old- write the Frog and Toad books. What happened? fashioned scenery, painted legs and drops." And the music could be based on the musicals my ADRIANNE LOBEL: It was sometime in the mid father and I loved from the thirties and forties. -sixties. My family and I were summering by a So when I approached [writer and composer] Wil- lake in Vermont. One day I came in from the lie and Rob Reale, that was what we talked woods with a small animal in the palm of my about. hand. "What a nice frog you have there," said my father. "This is not a frog," I replied. "This is a SN: What was your approach to the visual design toad." And I explained all of the differences in of the show? appearance and life style between these two amphibians. Not long after that the first Frog AL: I didn’t want to take the book illustrations and Toad book was born! I like to think I planted and stick them on the stage. My father’s water- the seed of their creation in my father’s head. colors were limpid; they looked loose, but they’re not easy. I studied his work very carefully, so I’d SN: When did you decide to make the Frog and have to warm up my hand to do his work, which Toad books into a musical? is very fluid and facile, in the best sense.

AL: It has been in my head for a long time. Of all SN: Do you think your father would be happy my father’s books, these seemed to lend with the musical? themselves best to dramatization. Most of his books have one eccentric character — usually an AL: I certainly hope so. I think he would be animal of some kind who tends to live alone and tickled to know that I did it. I know he would has encounters with others but not long love that it played on 42nd Street — though he relationships. Frog and Toad have the strongest never did see the rejuvenation of the block. And and most developed relationship. I envisioned the he was a great fan of [actor] Mark Linn-Baker show as an intimate vaudeville-style musical [who is also Lobel’s husband] so he would have with jazzy thirties-style sound. The songs, like liked to see Mark as Toad. He was a big theater my father’s writing, should not condescend to fan and somewhat of a frustrated actor himself. I children but should have an articulate cleverness was scared at first that I might be selling his soul and a sophistication that would appeal to down the river. But I really think he’d be children and their parents. thrilled.

SN: Could you discuss the process of adapting Frog and Toad for the stage? AL: Being a visual person, I think I started with what I thought the show should look like. I knew I wanted Frog and Toad to look like elegant

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QQQUICKUICKUICK RRREFERENCE GGGUIDEUIDEUIDE: S: STORIESTORIESTORIES TOTOTO RRREADEADEAD (S(S(SORTEDORTEDORTED BYBYBY BBBOOKOOKOOK)))

Each of the songs and scenes in A Year With Frog and Toad corresponds directly to a story from the Frog and Toad books. These stories are strung together to fill the year that passes during the show. Below you will find a list of the books in the Frog & Toad series and the stories within each book that will be enacted in the show. (All books written by Arnold Lobel)

Frog and Toad Are Friends Frog and Toad Together Spring, A Swim, The Letter The Garden, Cookies

Frog and Toad All Year Days With Frog and Toad Down the Hill, The Surprise, Christmas Eve The Kite, Shivers, Alone

THEMES TO FOLLOW: FFFRIENDSHIP (PA S(PA STANDARD 1.2, 1.5)1.2, 1.5) WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND?FRIEND?IEND?IEND? SStudenttudent Activity Sheet Answer the following questions about a good friend of yours.

My good friend’s name is______.

My good friend is______.

My good friend and I like to______.

My good friend and I have fun when______.

My good friend and I laugh when______.

My good friend and I go______.

My good friend helps me with ______.

My friend is like me in these ways:______

______.

My friend is different from me in these ways______

______.

Other words that describe my good friend are______.

In the space below, draw a picture of your friend.

TTTHEMEHEMEHEME TOTOTO FFFOLLOWOLLOWOLLOW: F: FRIENDSHIP

SSSUGGESTED AAACTIVITYCTIVITYCTIVITY; S; STORYBOARDS (PA S(PA STANDARDS 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 9.1) Give your students copies of the images below. Now have the students pair off and choose an image from the storyboard. Beginning in the same position as the characters (in a frozen image), invite them to enact or create another frozen image of what they think may happen next. Allow the im- provisations to run 2-5 minutes, guiding the students as necessary.

SSSUGGESTED AAACTIVITYCTIVITYCTIVITY: W: WHATHATHAT MMMAKESAKESAKES AAA GGGOODOODOOD FFFRIENDRIENDRIEND? (PA S? STANDARDS 1.3, 1.6, 9.1) Invite the class to give examples of things that good friends to together. As the students share, note some of the activities or key terms of the board. Examples might include: sharing, helping, having fun together, etc.

Now place the students in pairs and ask them to find their own space in the room. Explain that you will call out a term or phrase from the board and count backwards from ten. In that time, they must decide together what they are doing and how to show it in a frozen picture. For example, if the word is sharing, the students have ten seconds to choose something they are sharing and show what the object looks like in a frozen image. After ten seconds, pick several groups to tell what they are sharing and why. The other groups may relax their picture while others share. Now, regroup the students and ask them to generate ideas about when it is hard to be a friend. Record these answers on the board. Examples might be: when you are sick, tired, jealous, etc. Re- peat the frozen image/picture exercise with them using these ideas. What did you discover about friendship? What did you see in the images you and your classmates created? What other words would you like to add to the lists on the board?

TTTHEMEHEMEHEME TOTOTO FFFOLLOWOLLOWOLLOW: F: FROGSROGSROGS ANDANDAND TTTOADSOADSOADS Many people don’t know the difference between frogs and toads. They are quite different animals, although they belong to the same animal group.

FFFROGSROGSROGS ∗ Need to live near water ∗ Have smooth, moist skin that makes them look “slimy”. ∗ Have a narrow body ∗ Have higher, rounder, bulgier eyes ∗ Have longer hind legs ∗ Take long high jumps ∗ Have many predators

TTTOADSOADSOADS::: ∗ Do not need to live near water to survive ∗ Have rough, dry, bumpy skin ∗ Have a wider body ∗ Have lower, football shaped eyes ∗ Have shorter, less powerful hind legs ∗ Will run or take small hops rather than jump ∗ Do not have many predators. Toad’s skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nos- trils of its predators, much like a skunk does.

DID YOU KNOW!? Neither frogs nor toads, will give you warts! That is just a myth. http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts8.htm

SSSUGGESTED AAACTIVITYCTIVITYCTIVITY: L: LIFEIFEIFE CCCYCLESYCLESYCLES: F: FROMROMROM EEEGGGGGG TOTOTO FFFROGROGROG (PA S(PA STANDARD 4.1)4.1)4.1) Hand out the metamorphosis chart and go over the stages with your students. Have them color in the stages on their own.

Now ask your students to find a place on the floor that is far enough away from others that they may spread out. Lead them through the following life cycle movement exercise:

Imagine you are in a small egg that has just been laid on the bottom of the pond. Feel your surrounding shell. How far will it let you move? Slowly, you being to grow a tail. What does it feel like to have a tail? Can you wiggle it?

You are strong enough now to break through your shell. You have become a round tadpole with no neck. How does it feel not to have a neck? Look around at your new surroundings in your pond. What can you see? How does the water feel on your skin? What can you hear? Now you are hungry! Find some plants and small animals to eat. Don’t eat your fellow tadpoles! You’re all in this together!

Now you are ready to lose your tail and develop 4 frog legs. Feel your tail shrink and slowly let your legs grow out of your body. Move about the space and experience what it feels like to move on legs that have never carried you before. How do you travel, fast or slow, with large movements or small?

You are a full-grown frog, but now you are tired. Find a place where you’d like to hibernate for the winter and take a nice long nap!

TTTHEMEHEMEHEME TOTOTO FFFOLLOWOLLOWOLLOW: S: SEASONSEASONSEASONS

A Year With Frog and Toad takes place over the course of one year in the lives of Frog and Toad, and spans the four seasons. Please refer to the mosaic poster on the front cover, which also goes through the seasons!

SPRINGSPRINGSPRING The Birds come to wake up Frog and Toad from their winter slumber. Toad does not believe it is spring already. After waking up from a long winter nap, Toad finds his good friend planting a garden. Toad decides to make a garden but grows quite impatient at his slowpoke seeds. Frog explains that seeds need patience and if he were a seed he would not want to grow for someone who is yell- ing at him. Toad apologizes and becomes a kind gardener who protects the seeds. He sings, dances and plays tuba for them. He falls asleep and to his surprise tiny sprouts appear in the morning. Toad is ecstatic, except he has no mail. Frog decides to write his friend a letter and sends it by his friend Snail to deliver ASAP.

SUMMERSUMMERSUMMER The two friends decide to go for a swim. Toad looks funny in a bathing suit and Frog respectfully turns his eyes when Toad climbs into the water. But, the other animals tease Toad. The day turns out jolly at the expense of Toad and his very silly suit. Later that day, Toad decides to invite Frog on a picnic, but Toad finds a note on Frog’s doors saying that Frog has gone away to be alone. Toad begins to worry so much that Frog is upset with him that he drops their picnic in the water. Frog is fine, he just likes to think about things that make him happy and the thing that makes him the most happy is that he has Toad for a friend.

FALLFALLFALL Frog and Toad do all kinds of fun activities with each other; bake cookies, fly kites, rake leaves and tell stories. One stormy night, Frog decides it’s the perfect night for a ghost story and he begins to tell Toad about the time he was on a picnic with his family and they got lost in the woods. They left him alone while they looked for the way out. Frog was very frightened of the large terrible frog that lives in the woods, who likes to eat frog children for dessert. He ties up the big frog when it approaches and he and his parents go home.

WINTERWINTERWINTER Frog and Toad enjoy sledding adventures together. Toad’s letter from Frog finally arrives. Toad is very touched by the letter from his friend. On Christmas Eve, Toad fears something terrible has happened to Frog because he is late. But when Frog arrives, Toad finds out that he was late because he was wrapping Toad’s present.

FFFURTHERURTHERURTHER DDDISCUSSION::: Discuss the four seasons of the year and their characteristics with your students, including weather and outdoor activities associated with each. What is a favorite activity to do with your family or friends in each particular season? What is your favorite season and why? http://www.teachervision.fen.com/seasons/teacher-resources/6663.html

TTTHEMEHEMEHEME TOTOTO FFFOLLOWOLLOWOLLOW: S: SEASONSEASONSEASONS CCCONTINUED

SSSUGGESTED AAACTIVITYCTIVITYCTIVITY: W: WITHITHITH EEEVERYVERYVERY SSSEASONEASONEASON, T, TURNURNURN, T, TURNURNURN, T, TURNURNURN (PA A(PA ACADEMICCADEMICCADEMIC SSSTANDARD 3.3a.5 )3.3a.5 )

Create a large table on the board (See below). Write the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) across the top of the table, and the following words as rows on the left side: months, weather, holidays, and activities.

As a class, brainstorm facts about each of the four seasons:

In which months does the season occur and the various holidays (include the dates) that fall in that season?

What is the weather like and what activities do students like to do during these seasons?

MMMATERIALS:::

Pass out four (4) sheets of white paper (for the book pages), two (2) colored sheets of construction paper (for the book cover and back page), and old magazines.

IIINSTRUCTIONS:::

∗ Have students label each of the four white sheets of paper with each season: SPRING, SUMMER, FALL and WINTER.

∗ Then, have students find images in the magazines that represent each of the seasons, cut them out, and glue them onto the white paper.

∗ When students have completed this process, they can draw a background and other relevant seasonal items on the paper, and write one or two sentences to describe the season at the bottom of each page.

∗ Create a cover page that includes a title, the student’s name and a picture that reflects their favorite seasonal activity.

∗ Once the books are finished, have students tell a partner what their favorite season is and why. Give students time to read their books to a friend or share their season books with the class.

Spring Summer Fall Winter

TTTHEMEHEMEHEME TOTOTO FFFOLLOWOLLOWOLLOW: T: TELLINGELLINGELLING TIMETIMETIME WHAT TIME IS IT? (PA Standard 2.3) Toad never knows what time it is because his clock is broken. Have your students practice telling time on a clock with hands. Draw five blank clocks (circles with lines or the numbers 1 - 12 for each of the hours). Write the following times under the blank clocks (one for each): 1:00, 5:45, 8:10, 9:30, 11:20. Now have your students draw the hands on each clock where they would be to represent that time. Once they get these times drawn, try more times. Place the students in pairs to play a time game. Have them draw some blank clocks and give each other times to draw on the clocks, or draw the hands on the clocks first and then look at the drawings and write down the times.