The Secret of the Stone Frog

By David Nytra

Book Overview

★ "The intricate flowerings and soulfully etched forest backgrounds of the art make the black-and-white pages sing as though they were drawn in a rainbow of colors...Nytra's serene ending manages to be worthy of its glorious beginning...A beguiling experience that deserves multiple immersions."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

​​★ "Winsor McKay was a comics pioneer whose early experimentation with the form nearly predated the form itself. McKay's spirit, along with his dream-inspired imagery, lives on through Nytra, whose remarkable debut taps into the same unearthly environment with a similarly enchanting effect...The extraordinarily delicate and fine-lined art incorporates touches of manga aesthetic so that, like the story itself, it merges timeless narrative elements to craft something wonderfully innovative. TOON took a chance on a brand-new talent to create the first of their ever-so-slightly more mature graphic novel line and it's paid off with a smashing success."--Booklist, starred review

"Though black and white, the world is better realized than many full-color paintings. Dappled sunlight through trees and shadows on subway tiles are faithfully conveyed with nothing but masterly little black dashes. But Alan and Leah have to wake up, and Leah has to graduate from her own room away from her little brother. The story is a catalog of their time together, and perhaps of the books parents might have read themselves when they were younger. It could be a great way to introduce kids to the masterpieces of the past. Or you could just enjoy the book on its own merits. There are plenty of them."--The New York Times

When Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest, they have only each other and their wits to guide them. In a world full of pet bees and giant rabbits, they befriend foppish lions and stone frogs. Learning to overcome danger, they find their way home--and their independence.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1935179187
• ISBN13: 9781935179184
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: Toon Books
• Length: 8 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7