Willems's concise sentences, paired with joking illustrations in his other works, lose their hilarity-but gain significant emotional weight-when matched with Muth's watercolors. A closing chapter, 'spring again,' shows City Dog encountering another animal and repeating the same greeting Country Frog met him with the year before. In wintertime, City Dog trots through the snow to find Country Frog's favorite rock unoccupied.

One spring day, redolent with fresh yellow-greens and pale blues, City Dog tastes life 'without a leash!' Exploring a reedy pond, he meets Country Frog, who teaches him 'jumping and splashing and croaking.' When summer arrives, City Dog demonstrates 'sniffing and fetching and barking.' Fall brings orange-gold foliage and a brown cast to Country Frog's emerald skin. Muth (Zen Shorts) sets a limpid rural scene for Willems's (Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed) two unlikely friends in this tranquil tale of change. This understated picture book allows plenty of room for young readers to interpret the animals' feelings for themselves and perhaps discuss their own emotions.'Joy Fleishhacker', School Library Journal Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission. Making expert use of color and texture, Muth's expressive paintings clearly convey the tale's emotional nuances. In 'spring again,' a sad-looking City Dog befriends another critter with a familiar line, and then beams 'a froggy smile' (shown in close-up, this warmly illustrated grin guarantees that Country Frog will not be forgotten). When City Dog arrives again in 'winter,' Country Frog is nowhere to be found (a wordless spread shows the pooch sitting on the rock, looking small and forlorn against a stark winterscape). In 'fall,' Country Frog is tired, so the friends spend their time remembering. Asked, 'What are you doing?' Country Frog smiles and replies, 'Waiting for a friend]but 'you'll' do.' The two play Country Frog games ('jumping and splashing and croaking') and when reunited in 'summer,' they enjoy City Dog pastimes ('sniffing and fetching and barking').

In 'spring,' City Dog runs free in the countryside for the first time ever and discovers an unfamiliar creature perched on a rock. Presented with a comfortingly consistent narrative structure, the events are set against the backdrop of the changing seasons, reassuring readers that winter will turn again to spring, sadness to joy. PreS-Gr 2Spare, poignant, and ultimately upbeat, this tale depicts the natural cycle of friendship from an enthusiastic first encounter to contented companionship to the heartbreak of loss and eventual emotional renewal. By Grade + Interest - K to 1st By Grade + Interest - 2nd to 3rd By Grade + Interest - 4th to 5th

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems