When Spotted Frog tells of a great flood that is about to destroy their homes, all of the animals ignore his warnings, except Listener the Otter. Ridiculed by the other animals, Listener heeds Spotted Frog’s predictions and begins to build a raft to try and survive the impending disaster. But will his efforts be enough?

This charming children’s book warns us to listen to the wisdom of nature and the environment. Based on a traditional story from the Creek Indians of northern Florida and Georgia, this book is retold by award-winning author and storyteller Gerald Hausman, and is brought to life by the powerful images of Ramon Shiloh. This universal tale is imbued with Native American wisdom that is even more prescient now, with the conditions of global warming that threaten our world.

Our Thoughts:

I had Buggy (age 7) read this first.

It took her a little longer than usual to read the picture book, but I took note that the writing on the pages were not just a few sentences per page (which I have to note that I enjoyed because sometimes they are too easy for her – this one seemed just right for her to read).

She stated that she really liked the book.

The first thing I noticed was the beautiful illustrations (done by Ramon Shiloh).

It was an easy read for an adult and I really, truly enjoyed the story and am excited to be able to read this to all 3 kids (and have Buggy read it more).

About the Author:

Gerald Hausman is the author of more than 70 books. His live storytelling has been praised by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, History Channel, and the Bank Street College of Education. He and his wife have received numerous awards in the field of children’s literature.

“As a writer I have often been called a scribe. This is because in the gathering of oral tales, I have always tried to get the story right. To capture the flavor, the region and the moral as the original storyteller gave it to me. The NYT Book Review called my collection of American Indian stories, Tunkashila ‘an eloquent tribute to the first great storytellers of America.’”

In addition to his 22 years of story gathering and telling in New Mexico, Gerald also spent 13 summers on the island of Jamaica where he ran an informal writing school with his wife, Lorry. Together they collected Anansi stories, stories from and about the Kebra Nagast, and traditional West Indian ghost stories.

“I remember when History Channel filmed tales from my book “Duppy Talk”. My best friend Roy was not an actor, but because of his handsome face he was cast as the man who was enchanted by a mermaid. When I saw him on film, I asked Roy how he was able to do the underwater scene and keep that look of astonishment when he saw the made-up mermaid smiling on the river bank. He told me, ‘That look on my face comes from the fact I can’t swim. I was very scared.’”

Gerald teaches writing workshops in various parts of the United States and is most recently the author of “The American Storybag” — 40 years of story gathering on and off the road. He lives on a barrier island in Florida.

Buy the Book: