Boris the Boastful Frog

Boris the Boastful Frog is a really cool book about how pride can sometimes get the best of you! I liked all the different animals featured in the book, good illustrations. The ending was unexpected and very funny!

Boris the Boastful Frog by Karen Hodgson, Steve Cox is a book about a frog named Boris who is extremely Boastful. He meets different animals at the pond but they do not stay because of Boris's negative attitude. A cute story that can be used for many different classroom concepts from character education, science and language arts.

The ending was a shocker I must say and may cause sensitive students to have a lot of emotions. While it can be funny for some, as a teacher I know that there will be students who do not take the ending lightly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rosen Publishing for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Listen I know this was supposed to be a Children’s book but are we sure it’s not for adults as well? Because let me tell you, that ending had my jaw on the floor! After the shock faded away, I couldn’t help but laugh. This was an absurd (in a good way) story. I loved it.

I appreciated that Boris really learned the rule of “mess around and find out” and he had to face the consequences. Great job on this book.

A funny little story about a boastful frog whose vanity leads to a disastrous consequence.

Boris the frog considers himself the best at everything – croaking, hopping, swimming,… The problem is that he is actually very good at everything he attempts. But his constant attempt to brag about his prowess ends up alienating not just his frog friends but every animal around the pond. Until one fine day, a newcomer visit the pond and he has an ability that Boris doesn’t. Will Boris learn his lesson?

This would be a great story for kids to understand the proverb, 'Pride comes before a fall.' Never does vanity lead to any positive outcome. The narration shows how Boris ends up all alone midway the story and by the end, it is, literally, “the end” for him.

The story is aimed at readers aged 3-6, and the language as well as the pictures will wok wonderfully for this audience. The writing incorporates a variety of animals and situations, thus making this a great story for read-alouds at bedtime or in school.

The illustrations are amazing and suit the tone of the story well. I especially appreciate the illustrator for sketching what could have been a traumatic scene in a hilarious manner.

All in all, a nice story that incorporates a valuable life lesson in an easy-to-understand format. Recommended.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Rosen Publishing, Windmill Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Boris the Boastful Frog”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

NOTE: Parents/Teachers picking this up for kids should know that Boris doesn’t survive his bragging – he literally blows up at the end in a gooey mess! But the manner in which his death is drawn is not that gory, and kids (hopefully) won’t find it scary. Plus, Boris is an easy character to hate, so his death won’t lead to tears. But just in case death is a sensitive topic with your child, please be aware of this as a possible trigger.
Just in case it helps, my dad used to narrate a similar story to me at bedtime. The only difference was that there were two frogs and one of them exploded at the end in his attempt to puff himself up as big as possible. I always used to laugh at that ending, more so because of my dad’s attempts to show the “puffed-up frog” by his actions. Narration and funny actions will make a difference in the experience of this story.

Thank you to the author, Windmill Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This beautifully illustrated children's book illustrates the age-old adage "Pride goes before a fall" by telling the story of a vain frog that loves to brag about how he can do anything better. And he is actually better at most things than all the animals that come by the pond - but his bragging alienates not just the other frogs, but all the other animals that happen by the pond. One day a toad visits the pond, with disastrous consequences for the braggard. This ending may be triggering for sensitive children, so although I would highly recommend this book, a first read together may help to defuse any emotions or fears arising from Boris' end.

Boris believes he can do anything better than his friends. Boasting is his favorite thing and he doesn't miss an opportunity to share how wonderful he is with any animal who passes by. One day all his boasting leads to big trouble for Boris. A tale readers will delight in with a surprise ending.

I just reviewed Boris the Boastful Frog by Karen Hodgson, Steve Cox. #BoristheBoastfulFrog #PictureBooks #ChildrensFiction #NetGalley

Boris the Boastful Frog is a wildly entertaining book with a message "no on likes a show off" Following Boris as he tries to one up every animal in the pond until we comes across a toad with a unique talent. Kids will love the surprise ending and the beautiful images.

Boris the Boastful Frog is a colorful illustrated way to introduce the negative effects of being boastful. Boris is known for his boastful words and actions. His boastful actions create sadness among his pond friends. As you read, you are hoping that Boris will learn that his boastfulness is creating problems for him. Boris the Boastful Frog has an unexpected ending which leaves the reader wondering if one can ever come back from boastful consequences.

This was a bit dark lol. I went in thinking it'll be about a sage frog but turns out it was about Boris the frog who couldn't stop bragging about himself. I find thats a good lesson to learn, bragging gets you nowhere, you lose friends and eventually you lose yourself, no you dont pop but you do get lonely and it takes a toll on you when you aren't the best at everything.
The illustrations and the font were my favourite. I am beginning to really like children's books. This one in particular was funny as well as a bit dark and had a good message.
Highly recommend to all parents looking for good books to read to their children in bed.

This hilarious picture book tells the story of Boris, a frog who loses all of his frog friends by showing off how he is better at being a frog than them. Then, once all of the frogs leave him, he meets some other animals such as a lizard and a bird. He asks them what they do and he shows off how he can do that even better than they can. Then a toad comes along and shows Boris how he can puff out, Boris announces that he can do it better but then turns multiple colours and eventually pops. The illustrations are hilarious and definitely add an element of fun to the story. The expressive text also helps with telling the story and encouraging silly voices. I could definitely see this book being a great part of a shared reading or read aloud reading experience. As a grade 3 teacher, I would recommend this book to parents or teachers of children in the 3-9 age range. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

Boris, a frog, lives in a pond at the bottom of a muddy field. He is mighty fine... big, strong, good looking and very, very full of pride. He loves to boast about himself constantly. He excels at putting others to shame and makes them feel small and defeated. He can smile wider, croak louder, jump higher, swim faster, ( just to name a few ), than anyone else in the pond.

Soon the other frogs stop being friendly and vain Boris finds himself all alone sitting on his lily pad admiring his own reflection.

One day things change for him when a stranger calls at the pond. Boris discovers that this visitor can do something that he cannot. In his attempt to prove he is "King-of-the-Pond," and nothing is beyond his ability, Boris discovers a very valuable lesson.

Boris learns that boasting and vanity are never a good thing and it is a lesson he learns the hard way. One that will blow his mind! ( literally )

The illustrations are truly amazing. I love them. They are colourful, expressive, and marry the text perfectly. This would be a great read aloud with discussion at the end for sensitive kids that may defuse any emotions or fears arising from the surprise ending.

"Boris the Boastful Frog" is a winner and I highly recommend it.

#BorisTheBoastfulFrog #KarenHodgson #SteveCox #RosenPublishing #WindmillBooks #NetGalley

This cautionary tale is about Boris, a very boastful frog. The dangers of being too boastful are illustrated through a series of encounters. This book could be the start of discussions on recognizing one’s limits and being humble.
Illustrations are colorful and convey the message.

This is an ARC.

Practically ten years old, this was a nice book and deserved to be picked up for a new edition. A boisterous, narcissistic frog thinks he’s lord of all he surveys – he can do this better than everyone else, do that better than everyone else, and know what I was going to type next better than everyone else. It’s not just the other frogs he’s showing off to, either – it’s a host of different animal visitors. The delight about this was seeing whether the book would bravely ‘go there’ with the latest visit and the latest boast – I’ll leave it to you to find if the natural ending was reached, or if the young audience get a cop-out instead. Perhaps my four and a half stars rating kind of gives the game away, though – this is colourful and characterful stuff.

Hahah! I did NOT expect that ending! Boris the Boastful Frog by Karen Hodgson and Steve Cox is definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Boris boasts too much, and after isolating himself from all of his fellow frogs, he spends the day running off every other creature who comes to the pond. By showing that he can hop the highest, eat the most flies, and catch the most fish, Boris one by one loses his chance as making friends due to inability to not boast so much.

In the end, Boris meets a toad who can do everything that a frog can do - and more! The toad can also blow himself up to twice his size! In Boris’ attempt to be the best at everything, he tries to hard to blow himself up as well and explodes. The end.

Hahaha, I really loved this more than I should have.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rosen Publishing for the opportunity to read and review!

Okay, I can honestly say I think (as an adult) we've all been in Boris's shoes and struggled with comparing ourselves to others and - yes- bragging from time to time. I think this one hits home for the little ones, especially in the day of social media rampaging through life and through every age, even the littlest ones, that comparing yourself to others, or taking away from your friends' accomplishments or good features and qualities, doesn't get you anywhere. This is one to break out whenever you've got someone at home who is just a little too sure of themselves.

A beautiful and visually delightful book with a moral tale. The colours on the page and the pictures were amazing. It certainly had the little ones I read it to, giggling and pointing. Poor Boris doesn't realise how much his boasting is hurting him and his chances of finding a friend until one day he takes it way too far. An unexpected ending for us too. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book!

The story of boastful Boris comes to life with amazing illustrations and a relatable main character. If a child hasn't boasted about being the best at something, then they know someone who has. Boris pays the consequences for his boastful behavior by losing all of his friends at the pond as well as any new visitors. I found myself turning the pages wondering what Boris could possibly boast about next, but he always found a way to be the best at everything. That is, until a toad moves into the pond. Boris ends up paying the ultimate consequence for his boasting.

This book is a perfect story for my students. They are always boasting about being the best at different things, and this story provides an excellent illustration of how boasting can make others around you feel.
A quick note: I teach older elementary students who love the surprise ending of this book, however, it may be too abrupt or upsetting for younger children.

Anything you can do Boris can do better. He can gather more flies. He can catch more fish. He can do it all except blowing himself up like a toad. The outcome is not a good one. The ending of this book surprises me because it’s not happy. There are consequences for boastful actions. It just came out of nowhere and while as an adult, I enjoyed it, I can see some parents complaining.

Me and my children enjoyed this story with all of the characters within. It's about a frog that can do things better than what others can do. He live in a pond. His named is Boris. He like trying things that others do and doing it better.

This was a fun story to read. It had action and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within. It was little sad at the end of the book.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.