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About This Passage
The story's climactic exchange condenses its entire philosophical argument into four sentences: Toad's accusatory question, Frog's devastating honesty, Toad's unexpected acceptance, and the ambiguous final action of departure. The passage models Lobel's extraordinary economy — the repetition of 'do' carries interpretive weight, and the final sentence resists closure, leaving the reader to determine whether Toad's exit signifies peace or defeat.
'What are you laughing at, Frog?' said Toad. 'I am laughing at you, Toad,' said Frog, 'because you do look funny in your bathing suit.' 'Of course I do,' said Toad. Then he picked up his clothes and w...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Give a concise summary, then identify the single most important sentence or moment and explain why it matters to the book as a whole.
Discussion Questions
- Toad declares himself 'funny' before any animal has seen him. To what extent does the story suggest that shame originates within the self rather than being imposed by external judgment — and what evidence complicates this reading?
- Frog's laughter alongside the strangers on the riverbank has divided readers: some read it as betrayal, others as the highest form of intimacy only a best friend can offer. What distinction, if any, does Lobel draw between the laughter of the crowd and the laughter of Frog?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Shut so as to block sight; Frog closing his eyes is an act of willing trust that initiates the entire chain of events
Item 2
Leapt together into the water; the shared, simultaneous action that briefly unites the two friends before conflict divides them
Item 3
At high speed and with visible energy; Lobel's shorthand for Frog's boldness, paired against Toad's caution
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Critical Thinking
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