The Queen of the Frogs

Davide Cali's picture book is a gentle modern fable in the Aesop tradition: a frog finds a crown, is immediately declared queen, starts making demands — and loses the crown when she dives to retrieve it. Without the crown, there is no queen, and the frogs return contentedly to their egalitarian pond life. The moral is clear without being heavy-handed, Marco Somà's naturalistic illustrations are quietly lovely and distinctive, and the pacing is just right for storytime. Kirkus called it 'a simple, enjoyable fable' and 'a fine choice for storytime,' which is exactly the right framing — it's best used as a conversation-starter about leadership and humility rather than a complex standalone narrative. Older readers will find it thin. For the four-to-eight range, especially in classroom or family settings where discussion can follow, it earns its place. Values of community and humility align well with faith-based upbringing.