Yesterday I came across a story in the Dorset (England) Echo that tied these two events together. It turns out Will and Kate weren’t the only couple married in England on April 29. Another couple, Sabrina Laben and Simon Pittman, also tied the knot. They did not (I don’t think) arrive at the church in a Rolls-Royce, probably didn’t have a trumpet fanfare, and definitely didn’t have a billion people watching their ceremony.

Instead, they created a Save the Frogs wedding. Sabrina loves frogs and in lieu of gifts, she requested that donations be made to Save the Frogs. A “frog and frogette” stood on top of the wedding cake instead of traditional bride and groom figurines, and they sent out frog-decorated invitations. They had their reception Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, noted for its idyllic setting and multiple ponds.

courtesy of weddingandcakes.com

The more I thought about it, the better I liked this idea of an amphibian-themed wedding. In many cultures, frogs are symbols of good luck, prosperity, and fertility. They are associated with fairy tales and happy endings and transformations (the frog turning into a prince). As Susan and I know, people seem to love giving frog-related gifts. And what better place for a wedding than near a beautiful pond? If it rains, even better—frogs love rain and you might have a frog chorus accompaniment to your wedding!

For more information about other events that occurred on Save the Frogs day, and about the organization’s ongoing efforts and activities, please click here

While canine bestsellers are common, a bestseller with a frog character is rare.  The picture book, CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG by Mo Willems, with watercolors by Jon J. Muth, is currently No. 9 on the New York Times children’s book bestseller list.

CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG. Words by Mo Willems, pictures by Jon J. Muth

The story is a simple one—a friendship blossoms between a dog visiting the country and a resident frog through spring, summer, and fall. When winter comes the dog searches for the frog, but can’t find him. And when spring comes around again, he realizes frog is gone. But country dog finds a new friend.

The story is something of a departure for Mo Willems, whose other books include the now classic Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! In an interview, Willems says that he realized that he needed to find another illustrator for this story—Muth’s paintings complement the spare, poignant story perfectly. City Dog’s expressions of curiosity, playfulness, sadness, happiness, and confusion are sweet and tender—and very dog-like. Country Frog is pretty expressive, too!

Here’s a bit from the School Library Journal starred review by Joy Fleishhacker:

…[T] his tale depicts the natural cycle of friendship from an enthusiastic first encounter to contented companionship to the heartbreak of loss and eventual emotional renewal. 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…

As summer ends and we approach the first fall holiday, Rosh Hashanah, this is a wonderful book for kids about the cycle of seasons, change and renewal, friendship, and the importance of people or animals no longer with us.

More information:

Mo Willems’ website and information about Jon J. Muth.