Lil’ Small has a few Frog & Toad books from her childhood. I never had Frog & Toad books. Didn’t really read hers growing up, because she didn’t allow this, as they were some of her favourites, & were given specifically to her, not to the both of us.
I did read hers a few years ago & enjoyed them. I also figured she should have the other books to fill in her collection, so I purchased two online.
Long story short. I didn’t technically grow up with these & that was a fast read through a few years ago. She doesn’t want the two I got for her, so I read them again to see if I wanted them. I didn’t. But two stories made me LAUGH… because I am Toad. Incidentally they both revolve around food.
So, buckle in, it’s gonna be like Reading Rainbow… but Sarah style. You’ve been warned.
Ice Cream from Frog & Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel.
Lil’ Small, incidentally, would be the Frog to my Toad. It also tracks with these two stories. Firstly, she always wants ice cream.
She’ll eat chocolate, but her favourite is vanilla. I do dig chocolate. I’m also generally always the one fetching things like ice cream.
Oh-ho! I just wrote a post about the whole “The path to hell is paved with good intentions” & I am the QUEEN of that damn road, just like Toad here.
There’s also an incident where my parents sent me off with Lil’ Small to bring back dip cones from Dairy Queen. It went so horribly, with me driving & ending up covered in dip cone, that I refused to ever do that again. My dad liked to bring that story up & laugh even though he wasn’t even in the car. I guess I was just that… hoppin’… mad when I got home.
It’s a reach, but I do need glasses to see & I never know what fucking road I’m on, man. Metaphorically speaking.
I do believe I am a demon who has horns that are just currently hidden in this human form. This is probably about what I look like in my true form.
It has been known to happen that people run away from me screaming (or at least stepping back warily), or thinking I’m something awful…
Possibly seeing the horns that are generally hidden from view.
But Lil’ Small knows it’s me (& also knows that I end up in… sticky… situations!)
Only I’d be saying a lot more than “Drat”, but this is a children’s book after all. That toad would be cussin’ & spittin’ like a cross between Donald Duck & a sailor (I get that Donald Duck is a sailor, but you know the whole “Cussin’ like a sailor” thing… so…)
Then with a better idea, like a true big sister, Lil’ Small would just suggest we get ice cream together… because I simply couldn’t handle the task of humaning on that particular (most) day(s).
Cookies from Frog & Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
I LOVE baking & I do make delicious cookies. Mainly chocolate chip, using the Nestle Toll House recipe (& demon love?) because people just say, “Oh… chocolate chip cookies…” like big deal, who cares. Then they taste mine & did I just gain some of their souls? because then they are exclaiming they are the best things EVER! Of course I’d share with Lil’ Small.
See? Best cookies ever. I’m tellin’ ya.
Just like Frog, Lil’ Small will only handle a small amount of sweets.
I, like Toad, do not want to stop eating cookies. Especially if I made them.
This is also where that meme came from that you’ve probably seen. I know I’d see it before reading these books. The picture two up with the words below.
Will of might is in my vocabulary, but will power is not.
Toad looks about as sad as I would be if Lil’ Small starting talking about NOT eating the cookies.
Or how sad I’d also be, reaching for the cookies, that Lil’ Small would be taking away from me. Also, I’m not one to just accept things. I will always bring up the flip side like how we can always open the box…
Or undo the string. Basically, I’m gonna want to get my hands back on my cookies, damnit!
Upset that my cookies are getting farther & farther away from me…
but still foiling her ultimate plans with my words of logic.
And being sad that Lil’ Small gave my cookies away!
I slapped my leg so hard at this, man, I thought it was that fuckin’ funny, because you can keep your will power & I would just leave & go home to bake a damn cake!
I related both of these stories to Lil’ Small, saying that I liked those, but wasn’t keeping the books. She laughed as well, because I’d prefaced with the fact that she’d be Frog & I’d be Toad.
Recently had a dream where My Best Gal Pal was in it, refusing to let me bring my freshly baked chocolate cake with us. I was about to throw hands over it in the dream. Related it to her & she assured me that she’d never deny me cake. Life is weird.
But don’t step between me & my sweets, man. Just… don’t. I will deck a sucka over delicious baked goods.
Alien Tea Shoppe 