In five stories, the amphibians learn such things as patience, courage, and willpower. Lobel makes a short vocabulary list go a long way, teaching his readers positive attributes while keeping their interest with engaging story lines.

The brown-and-green-hued watercolor sketches are a strong accompaniment to the stories. The sketches of Toad's activities while he not-so-patiently waits for his seeds to grow capture the mood of the young toad precisely. The rocks falling toward our fleeing heroes in "Dragons and Giants" convey the urgency of their situation (and you can see the fear written all over our "not afraid" heroes' faces).

"The List" shows the benefits of organization, but tempers that with the need for flexibility, while "The Cookies" shows that you can have too much of a good thing--even willpower. "You can keep it," Toad tells Frog. "I'm going home to make a cake." The stories are simple but interesting, practical yet humorous, and never stray from the central theme: The two friends can figure out almost any problem they face.

Other books in the series include Frog and Toad All Year and Frog and Toad Are Friends. Other books in the I Can Read series include Mice at Bat, Camp Big Paw, and Danny and the Dinosaur.