These are expansively glorious evocations of each season's rural splendors, with the homelier figures of our heroes providing an empathetic link to the landscape. The text of the rhythmic, almost circular story is brief and quietly declarative, few words stretching to even three syllables, and calmly centered in the middle of the white left-hand pages while Muth's watercolors fill the right.

Winter comes, and so does City Dog, but 'Country Frog was not there.' Spring comes again, and.let's just say that this is not a book about hibernation. In the fall, Country Frog is tired, and the two are content to simply rest and reminisce on Frog's rock. Come summer, City Dog returns and this time takes the lead-sniffing, fetching, barking. Down by the water, he makes a new friend, and Country Frog teaches him some games-jumping, splashing, croaking.

Kirkus' It's spring vacation for City Dog, and he joyfully heads across the country meadow, unleashed. The image of a happy dog treading water with a frog on his head says it all. The author provides the perfect amount of humor to keep things from getting too heavy, and Muth's astounding watercolors lend incredible depth, guiding readers easily from emotion to emotion as well as from season to season. Just when readers may find themselves reaching for the tissues, a new friend shows up for the dog in this smart and subtle meditation on life, love and loss. Fall becomes a time for slowing down, and then in winter City Dog's friend disappears, an event foreshadowed in fall by a gentle image of the frog's 'hand' resting on the sleeping dog. A picture book of this length could feel endless, but this glides along as the friends share country-frog and city-dog pastimes in spring and summer. The book follows the friends through the seasons. Review Quotes In Willems's latest, a departure from his urban sensibility as well as his first book as solely the author, a dog from the city explores new territory when he moves to the country and befriends a frog. Muth's expressive watercolors team up to tell a story that will resonate with readers of all ages. Mo Willems' spare, poignant text and Jon J. Come spring, friendship blooms again, a little different this time. In winter, things change for City Dog and Country Frog. Through the seasons, whenever City Dog visits the country he runs straight for Country Frog's rock. In summer, they meet again and play City Dog games. You'll do, Frog says, and together they play Country Frog games.

In spring, when City Dog runs free in the country for the first time, he spots Country Frog sitting on a rock, waiting for a friend. About the Book With poignant text and expressive watercolors, two Caldecott Honorees present a heartfelt reflection on the natural course of friendship-and life.

City dog country frog by mo willems