Excessive sentimentality repulses discerning readers of any age-and children discard it as counterfeit rubbish. There are very few who can touch on the subject of friendship without being overtly sentimental. Lobel proves his merit as an author, for he writes about friendship with cheery humility and good-humored honesty. He is indeed a faithful friend, a selfless giver. He proves himself to be in each story that calming presence, the peaceful, patient helper that sets Toad right and saves the day in a humble, unassuming fashion. He is a cheerful optimist, always happy and very kind. Poor Toad is a confirmed melancholic who is prone to many anxieties. Toad is charmingly unrestrained and incredibly lacking in the department of self-control, and the stories are often centered on his humorous antics. The stories follow the friendship of the very kind, pragmatic Frog and his neurotic, innocently ridiculous friend Toad. The series is contained in four books, which were designed to be early-readers for children. These are charming, dear tales about the companionship of Frog and Toad, and they are completely free of any moralistic taint. The stories of Frog and Toad have earned their place among the good books. But a truly good book is sufficient unto itself and has no ulterior motives. Something must be accomplished beside-whether it is an increase in the child’s vocabulary, or the teaching of a moral lesson about how to share, or how not to be a bully, or how to have self-esteem. The end is not the enjoyment of the tale. The end in most modern pieces of children’s literature is outside the book itself. Stories for children have changed from being something pleasant, like a glass of lemonade or a soft dreamy sunset, to being something utilitarian-a vehicle designed to trick the child into receiving a moral lesson. Beauty is secondary, if it is present at all. Stories must now be useful and instructive to children as well as entertaining. As our times have progressed and become “more advanced,” the value of a story as something merely pleasant has shifted. Think of Mother Goose, The Wind in the Willows, The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan. Once upon a time, all children’s stories were a pleasant romp, an indulgence in something lovely. These stories are pure, unashamed delight. Every child should read Arnold Lobel’s stories of Frog and Toad.
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