Frog and Fly, written and illustrated by Jeff Mack. Philomel, Penguin. 2012. $13.99 ages 3 and up

"Why did you kiss me?
I kissed you because I love
flies!
How sweet! Do you really
love flies?
I do. I really love flies...

SLURP!"

Here's another sweet collection of stories. There are six of them, and they are all very short. They are funny, sly and show young readers and listeners how much fun can be had with words and language. The fact that they also look a bit like comics just adds to the allure and entertainment.

I am sure that I have mentioned in previous posts that I live in awe of creative people and their constant thinking about new ways to tell stories, and to bring a love of words and reading to their audience. In these tiny tales, the frog and fly meet up in a variety of places and for any number of reasons. You might think that they are friends. It seems that they are. Then, comes the surprise!

Each tale is told with wordplay and humor. The frog is a wily creature and uses his many wiles to convince the fly that he has no ulterior motive beyond interest and concern. I could include any of them in the text of this post, but will leave you to discover them for yourself with your children. I know they will want to hear about Frog and Fly more than once. And I don't think it will be long until they are ready to read them all on their own, and entertain anyone willing to lend an attentive ear.

We hope that eventually the frog will get his just desserts. Does he? I'm not telling....

Get your fly and frog voices ready if you want to share this story with a batch of added fun...kids will love you for it.