This is a great book about how opposites attract. I loved the illustrations and I think kids of all ages will really love this book.

I was unfamiliar with the author Binette Schroeder until reading this book. The recipient of numerous literary awards, I was interested in becoming acquainted with her writing. Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic are neighbors. The cover gives a clue about their personalities: Mr. Gray is somber, serious, preferring solitude and quiet. Frieda on the other hand, is vibrant, energetic and full of life, enjoying time in her garden while singing and laughing.

I love the depictions of each. The gray scale of all of Mr. Gray's house--the only color added to his life was black (his beard and his dog). His home as neat, tidy and orderly as the numbers he loved to think about. And Frieda's home is all sunshine, color and a bit of happy chaos.

Children will delight in this story that presents the magical way in which these neighbors' lives intersect. How will Mr. Gray handle the introduction of color into his gray world? You'll have to read the book to find out! The story is a beautiful picture of how opposites can complement one another and broaden our horizons. Sometimes we need a little encouragement to try new things and see life in a new way--that's part of the magic of friendship. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Schroeder's books!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Mr. Gray & Frieda Frolic from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Mr Gray and Frieda Frolic is a beautifully illustrated children's book about two complete opposites and how they attracted to each other. Mr Gray only likes the colour Gray and Frida Frolic lives bright colours and painting colourful pictures. One day she paints a yellow bird and it is so lifelike that the bird came to life and flew into Mr Grays house! Frida goes to retrieve him and the pair become an item. This book is beautifully illustrated and I loved the concept of it. What let it down for me was that the timeline of the story seemed to jump from summer to a carnival and snow the next day. This could have been developed on instead of jumping as it does leave you a bit confused.

Lovely and heartwarming story for all ages. Mr. Gray is quite put off by his new neighbor, Freida Frolic. But soon she finds a way to bring color and joy into his otherwise gray and bleak life. A great lesson on finding the good in those who are far different from us and the benefits of stepping outside of your comfort zone.

The story of a man who likes gray and color his life as such, even his animals turn quiet and gray, then meet a colorful woman. And the woman fills this man's life with colors. A simple yet powerful story of a better way of living a colorful life.

Beautifully illustrated with quirky, endearing characters, this story delighted me and my children. It’s the classic story of two seemingly opposite characters who connect despite their differences. This is a whimsical, lovely story for a read-a-loud with kids. My daughters, ages 5 and 7, couldn’t get enough of it!

I read this with my 6-year old nephew and he enjoyed it. We both love the message of the book but I think it's too rushed. The illustrations are beautiful but the texts should be bigger.

Thank you Netgalley and North South Books Inc. for the ARC!

Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic by Binette Schroeder is a very sweet story about a man going through the motions of life in a blah monotonous way. Until his neighbor accidentally unleashes a yellow canary into his home which wreaks havoc on his very gray life. She soon shows him what he’s been missing and begins to add color and joy and whimsy into his life. The illustrations in this story are beautiful and add an element of fun for any child or adult to experience. My only negative is that I would have liked to have seen Mr. Gray’s influence on Frieda in addition to her influence on him. It was a little one sided and I think a show of equality would give a better feel to the story to show that compromise for two people living together is very important.

It was a bit short but I liked it. The contrast between the two characters was certainly a nice touch. I especially love the part where color started encroaching into Mr. Gray's life.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this ebook.
This was a beautifully illustrated story that my daughter chose to read. She enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the deeper theme within it.

I didn't quite enjoy this one.

I liked the message but it was too rushed,
The art style wasn't really my favorite and I didn't like how the text was (not) incorporated and so disjointed from the drawings.

A miss for me.

Mr. Gray meets Frieda Frolic. Sometimes it takes someone different than us for us to see the world in a more colorful way. For Mr. Gray that was Freida Frolic. Her name says it all. A beautiful illustrated book will come alive for your young readers.

A special thank you to North South Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I thought this would be such a cute story. It just didn't hit the mark with me. Love the illustrations and too bad the story didn't quite flow as nicely as it should. But, I suspect that the book would be too long in length had the storyline been developed.

Overall, a nice book that has a message that change can be a good and it doesn't hurt to try different things. Three satisfactory stars.

I received a digital ARC from North South Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I kind of like some parts of the story. But for some reason I couldn't really enjoy it so much as I had expected. Some parts of the book felt incomplete as well. However, the illustrations are beautiful.

Perhaps something was lost in the translation, but the text to this tale of a pair of opposites who attract seems rather clunky. The illustrations are lovely, but not really enough to carry the book. It's been a long time since I was a child, but I doubt this one would have appealed much to me as a youngster.

This story is about Mr. Grey, a dull and probably depressed character whose neighbour, Frieda, is very vibrant, colourful and cheerful. When an accident involving a missing bird occurs, Frieda, introduces Mr. Grey to a world of colour and joy. It is a sweet story with nice use of metaphor and a message about letting others in, opening up and trying new things. I can’t see this book being the most popular book in my Grade 3 classroom library, but I could see reading this book to my students when talking about metaphor or feelings. The book is nicely written and would be appropriate for children approximately age 4-10.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous — full of whimsy and interesting contrast using color. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as big a fan of the story. I thought the words didn’t flow well from page to page, and the font felt a tad too small / dense in its presentation. Regardless, I think kids will have a great time with this book based on the illustrations and its overall creativity.

Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic by Binette Schroeder

Quick Thoughts: 5/5 Stars
This was such a delightful book! I read it to my 5 year old daughter last night and we both adored it. The story is very sweet but the illustrations in this book are what are truly astounding--we both loved the artwork and coloring in this one.

The Set Up:
Mr. Gray is settled in his ways; especially when it comes to color....or lack thereof. He wears gray, decorates his house with gray and even his pets are gray. But, when his unexpected colorful neighbor, Frieda Frolic crashes into his life, Mr. Gray starts living life in full color, little by little.

A truly great read for children. The illustrations are to die for and the story of 'opposites attract' was done in such a sweet and heartwarming way. My daughter especially loved the animals in the story as they were especially adorable! Coming out March 29th; make sure you get your hands on this one for all the special little ones in your life!

Thanks to the publisher, North South Books Inc. and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.
#MrGrayandFriedaFrolic #NetGalley

Oh what a delightful book!!

Sometimes in life, we get stuck in a rut and believe that we love where we are and that we don't need change [or in Mr. Gray's case, color] and don't see all the life seeping out around us [like Mr. Gray's animals, that have lost their zest as well] until something unexpected [like the colorful Frieda Frolic! And isn't she a complete delight!!] pops in and turns your world upside down, but for the very best. That is what this gorgeously illustrated book is about. Stepping out of one's comfort zone and learn to live a life unexpected. Absolutely delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Binette Schroeder, David Henry Wilson [Translator] and NorthSouth Books Inc. for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic by Binette Schroeder is absolutely adorable children's picture book about opposites attracting. The story revolves around Mr. Gray, whose house is mostly gray, and his neighbor Frieda Frolic, whose house is vibrant and colorful. At first, he can't stand her, but what happens after they get to know each other? Do opposites attract?

Overall, Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic is a bright and colorful children's picture book that is sure to become a bestseller when it comes out in March. One highlight of this book is the adorable artwork. I love how Mr. Gray's halves of the pages are always gray and dreary, which provides a nice visual contrast to Frieda Frolic's colorful halves. When I saw the cover, I knew that I wanted to read this book right away, and the inside did not disappoint. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!