A Year with Frog and Toad Study Guide

The Arden Theatre Company Presents…

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD Based on the books by: Arnold Lobel Music by: Robert Reale Book and lyrics by: Willie Reale Directed by: Whit MacLaughlin Streaming November 30 – December 13, 2020 Sponsored by:

What’s Inside‌ Introduction

-About the author -Summary

Behind-the-Scenes -Meet the team

Education Corner -About frogs and toads

Activities -Matching -Write or Draw -Cookie Recipe -Make a kite

- Word Search - Important Letter - Plant a garden - Run a maze

Post-Show Discussion -What did you think?

Additional Resources -Answer Key

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About the Author Arnold Lobel knew he wanted to be a writer and an illustrator when he was very young. When he was a child, he missed school a lot because he was sick. In his sick time, he learned to develop his imagination and learned that he loved to draw. Mr. Lobel would draw lots of animals and share them to his friends. Another thing he liked to do as a child was borrow books from the library!

Mr. Lobel spent his childhood in Schenectady, NY. He went to art school and later married Anita Kempler. They moved to New York City together and had two children, Adam and Adrianne.

Mr. Lobel is especially well known for his Frog and Toad books. His books are focused on the idea of friendship and a simple style of living. Mr. Lobel not only wrote the Frog and Toad books, but also illustrated them! He has won many awards for his children’s books. He also once said that, “"Frog and Toad are really two aspects of myself."

Also Written by Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad series:

Other Stories:

Frog and Toad are Friends Days With Frog and Toad Frog and Toad All Year Frog and Toad Together

Owl at Home Uncle Elephant Mouse Soup Grasshoppers on the Road

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Fables Mouse Tales The Rose in My Garden Ming Lo Moves the Mountain

A Summary of the Play After a long winter hibernation, Frog and Toad both wake up one April morning to the beginning of spring. Frog leaps up with energy, as Toad tries to spend a little bit more time in his cozy bed, but soon both are ready to spend the year together! Since it is springtime, they have a bright idea to plant a garden with seeds. Toad plants the seeds, but he wants them to grow right away. Frog explains to Toad that seeds take time, and he must be patient. When Toad wakes up the next morning, the seeds have already started to grow and he is very excited. At ten o’clock, mail time, Toad becomes sad because he never gets any mail. Toad has never received a letter. Frog decides to write Toad a letter because he wants to make him happy, and gives it to Snail to deliver to him A.S.A.P. As summer comes around, Frog and Toad decide to go swimming.

Toad looks very funny in a bathing suit and all their animal friends, including Turtle, Mouse, and Lizard, come to see. They sing a song about Toad’s silly suit and everyone, even Frog has a laugh. Later, Toad goes to Frog’s house to surprise him with a fine lunch of sandwiches and iced tea, but when he gets there, he finds out that Frog has left for the day to be alone.

Toad becomes upset and wonders why Frog would ever want to be alone.

Toad finds Frog on an island in the lake. He becomes so upset when he sees Frog, he drops the lunch into the lake water. Frog explains that sometimes he likes to have some alone time to think about how happy he is, and one of the reasons he is so happy is because he has Toad for a friend.

When fall arrives, they make cookies, fly kites, and rake leaves together. One night, it is dark and stormy and Frog tells Toad a scary story.

He tells him that when he was a young frog he went on a picnic with his mom and dad and they got lost in the woods. They left him in the woods all alone in the night where he was found by a large and terribly scary frog! Even though the story was scary, it had a happy ending because Frog went home and took a hot and steamy bubble bath!

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Winter arrives and snow comes with it. Toad has still not received any mail. Frog wonders what is taking Snail so long. Frog convinces Toad to go sledding. They hit a bump and Frog falls off of the sled. Frog is okay and he meets up with some Mole friends but Toad gets very scared going down the hill super-fast all alone. Then Toad is thrown from the sled into a snowbank.

He is alive but very upset with Frog. Toad leaves and says they will never speak again.

Just when things look gloomy for Frog and Toad’s friendship, Snail finally arrives with the long-awaited letter. Toad forgives Frog and they are friends again. On Christmas Eve, Frog is late coming to Toad’s house and Toad gets very worried. He thinks that Frog was attacked by wolves and just as Toad is about to go rescue him, Frog arrives safely. Frog was late because he was wrapping a present for Toad.

After Christmas, the year is over, and it’s time for Frog and Toad to hibernate again. When they say goodnight, they promise to meet up again next spring to share more fun times and adventure. They even both fall asleep dreaming of each other because they are such good friends.

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BEHIND THE SCENES Ever wonder what it takes to put on a show? This section will showcase the cast of the show, the people who made it so much fun, and interviews with the director, Frog, and Toad!

Cast Frog………………………………………….Jeffrey Coon Toad…………………………………………...Ben Dibble Bird/ensemble………………………...………Leah Kato Bird/ensemble…………………………….Elexis Morton Snail/ensemble…………………………...…Steve Pacek

Creative Team Director………………………………Whit MacLaughlin Assistant Director………………………..Madison Auch Musical Director………………………..Amanda Morton Choreographer……………………...…...Lee Ann Etzold Stage Manager………………………………Kate Nelson Assistants to the Stage Manager…..….Jess McPhilips …………Aaron Shown Costume Designer……………………..Richard St. Clair Scenic Designer…………………………Donald Eastman Lighting Design……………………………Thom Weaver Sound Designer………………………...Jorge Cousineau Bass……..………………………………….Dan Perelstein Percussion……………………………………...Mike Reilly Guitar/Banjo/Others………………………Spiff Weigand

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ABOUT FROGS So what’s the big difference between frogs and toads?

Frogs are amphibians. An amphibian is a coldblooded animal that lays eggs in water. Frogs are also vertebrates, which mean they have a back bone like humans. They have long, webbed hind feet they use for leaping and swimming. Take a look at the picture: Frogs like to live where it is wet, and so have smooth or slimy skin. Since frogs like to live in wet environments, they lay their eggs in clusters in water.

Frogs also have very small teeth to help them eat. There are over 400 species of frogs in the world!

DID YOU KNOW? A frog’s tongue is attached at the front of their mouth. A human’s tongue is attached at the back. A frog will use its tongue to catch prey. It will throw its tongue out, grab the prey, and then snap back, throwing the food down their throat.

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About Toads Toads are another kind of amphibian. Unlike frogs, toads have stubby bodies and short hind legs. They typically live in dryer climates than frogs. Because they live in these climates, a toad’s skin is often bumpy and dry. They have no teeth either. When a toad lays eggs, they lay them in long chains (different than the cluster of eggs a frog lays). Toads also hop!

DID YOU KNOW? All toads are frogs!

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LIFE CYCLE OF THE TOAD Below is of the life cycle of the toad. The numbers in the image correspond to the numbers below.

1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9

Toad spawn (eggs) Developing ova Tadpoles with gills Develops rear limbs Develops front limbs

10 Full toad

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Activities Do you know the difference between a Frog and Toad? Draw a line connecting each characteristic to the animal it describes. *** Lay eggs in strings Jump Little teeth Webbed hind feet Smooth wet skin Lay eggs in water No teeth Dry, bumpy skin Short legs Hop

***

Now draw a line connecting each characteristic to the character it describes!

Sometimes likes to be alone Gets up early

Easily scared

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Adventurous

Likes cups of tea

Never knows what time it is

Sleeps late Carefree

Looks funny in a bathing suit

Doesn’t want to eat many cookies

Write or Draw Frog and Toad have very different personalities. Are you more like Frog or Toad? Write about a time when you acted like Frog or Toad or draw a picture of it!

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Word Search Find and circle the words below. Words can go vertical or horizontal.

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FROG

TOAD

BIRD

SNAIL

MOLE

COOKIE

SLED

LETTER

KITE

LEAVES

SPRING

WINTER

FALL

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SUMMER

SEEDS

A Most Important Letter In A Year with Frog and Toad, Frog writes Toad a letter to cheer him up. Write a letter to someone in the show or to someone special in your life. Tell them you’re glad they are your friend.

Date Their Name Street Address City, State ZIP Code Dear

,

Your Friend, Your Name

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Cookie Time Cookies, Cookies, Cookies *Make sure an adult helps you with this! They can teach you how to stay safe making cookies.

Frog’s Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

(Makes 40 cookies)

In the Garden Plant a Garden 1. One of the most fascinating bulbs to start as a winter indoor project is the hyacinth bulb. Use a hyacinth glass or any plastic or glass container with a narrow top opening. Rest the bulb on the opening then fill water to within about one fourth to one-eighth inch below the bulb. Within a short time the roots will develop in the water and top growth and flowers will appear. With this project, observe the roots and the top growth right up to flowering time.

2. Some of the seeds that may be started in pots for quick growth are radishes, nasturtiums, beans, peas, sweet alyssum, corn, onions and parsley. Have the students plant the seeds in the pot so they spell out his or her initials as they grow. Set the pots in a bright window, where they will develop rapidly before interest is lost in the project.

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Make A Kite Instructions for 20 kites in 20 minutes!

Material list: • • •

• • • • •

20 sheets of brightly colored 8 1/2" x 11" typing paper.

20 8" bamboo bar-b-que shish kabob sticks.

1 roll of florescent surveyor's flagging plastic tape. Available at any hardware store. A plastic bag cut in a 1" wide spiral all around will also make a great tail.

1 roll 1/2"wide masking tape or any type of plastic tape..

1 roll of string. (At least 200', 6 to 10 feet for each child.)

20 pieces of 1"x 3" cardboard on which to wind the string.

Scissors.

Hole punch. (optional)

1.

2.

3.

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6.

Fold a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in half to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Fold again along the diagonal line AB .

Fold back one side forming kite shape and place tape firmly along fold line AB. Place bar-b-que stick from point C to D and tape it down firmly.

Cut off 6 to 10 feet of plastic ribbon and tape it to the bottom of the kite at B. Flip kite over onto its back and fold the front flap back and forth until it stands straight up.(Otherwise it acts like a rudder and the kite spins around in circles.)

7. Punch a hole in the flap at E, about 1/3 down from the top point A. Tie one end of the string to the hole and wind the other end onto the cardboard.

A

A

D C

E

B

B

Directions from http://www.aloha.net/~bigwind/20kidskites.html

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B

Help Frog and Toad get home to hibernate! Don’t get distracted!

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After the Show‌ 1. Which was your favorite character in A Year with Frog and Toad? Describe the character and tell why you liked them the best?

2. Did you believe that the actors were really animals in the play? What made you think of them as Frog and Toad? Was it their costumes, their body movements, or maybe their voices?

3. What was your favorite song from A Year with Frog and Toad? Do you remember any of the words? Try and sing it a little.

4. The lighting in the show can help to set a mood from scary to happy and everything in between. Do you remember a specific moment in the show when the lights made you feel a certain way?

5. Did you read any of the Arnold Lobel books before you saw the show? How was the show different from the book? How was it the same?

6. Besides the music there are lots of other sound effects in A Year with Frog and Toad. How did the sounds help you understand the play?

7. What was your favorite moment in the show? Describe it.

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Answer Key MATCHING

TOAD Lays eggs in strings Dry warty skin No teeth Short hind legs Hop

TOAD Looks funny in a swim suit Sleeps late Likes a quite cup of tea Easily scared Worrier Never gets any letters

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FROG Lay eggs in water Smooth wet skin Little teeth Webbed hind feet Jump

FROG Carefree Adventurous Gets up early Sometimes likes to be alone Doesn’t want to eat too many cookies Never knows what time it is

Answer Key Cont… WORD SEARCH F A L W S P L E A E C V T W J T S F E Z A RFOP I D L S U M E S N MOLER FROG SLED

L R V M O R B

S N A I L A G N G U M N L O E S R M W U T C Q D T I S O O U F S N B A O G S R T M D K I T E E L P IKCXRAKL H W E A S E E D S M E R O Z B I R A B S P R I N G F GOOCNU K

TOAD LETTER FALL

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BIRD KITE

I S N E F E PW S A I T S C E R D T Y P

SNAIL COOKIE LEAVES SUMMER

MOLE SPRING SEEDS

WINTER