The Frog In The Well

By Caldecott Medal winners Alvin Tresselt and Roger Duvoisin, The Frog in the Well is the charming tale of a brave frog who beats his fears and explores the world Once upon a time there was a frog who lived at the bottom of a well. The well was the frog’s whole world, until the day the well ran dry and the bugs began to disappear. What was happening to the world, the frog wondered, and what could he do? The hungry frog decided he must hop to the top of the well to see what he could of the end of the world. Conquering his fear, he peered out, and what did he see? Trees, flowers, meadows, marshes, and all kinds of end-of-the-world creatures! Entranced, the little frog ventured forth to find out more about the world outside his own. Based on a classic Chinese fable, and written and illustrated by the Caldecott-winning Alvin Tresselt and Roger Duvoisin, The Frog in the Well is a charming tale of one brave frog and his journey into wisdom.

Frog in the Well is a vivid and revealing account of Watanabe Kazan, one of the most important intellectuals of the late Tokugawa period. From his impoverished upbringing to his tragic suicide in exile, Kazan's life and work reflected a turbulent period in Japan's history. He was a famous artist, a Confucian scholar, a student of Western culture, a samurai, and a critic of the shogunate who, nevertheless, felt compelled to kill himself for fear that he had caused his lord anxiety. During this period, a typical Japanese scholar or artist refused to acknowledge the outside world, much like a "frog in the well that knows nothing of the ocean," but Kazan actively sought out Western learning. He appreciated European civilization and bought every scrap of European art that was available in Japan. He became a painter to help his family out of poverty and, by employing the artistic techniques of the West, achieved great success with his realistic and stylistically advanced portraits. Although he remained a nationalist committed to the old ways, Kazan called on the shogunate to learn from the West or risk disaster. He strove to improve the agricultural and economic conditions of his province and reinforce its defenses, but his criticisms and warnings about possible coastal invasions ultimately led to his arrest and exile. Frog in the Well is the first full-length biography of Kazan in English, and, in telling his life's story, renowned scholar Donald Keene paints a fascinating portrait of the social and intellectual milieus of the late Tokugawa period. Richly illustrated with Kazan's paintings, Frog in the Well illuminates a life that is emblematic of the cultural crises affecting Japan in the years before revolution.

An apparent tragedy becomes a boon when the well dries up

Feeling adventurous one day, a frog leaves her pond and sets out to visit the great sea she has heard so much about.

Once upon a time, there were two good friends: a frog and a toad. From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other, just as best friends should be. This book collects their warm and funny adventures.

Thomas is an aquarium toad of unknown parentage. He doesn’t know his past and the prospects for his future are dim. While he’s read extensively about faraway lands, Thomas has never ventured beyond the glass walls of home. But when happenstance leaves a door open into a brave new world, Thomas hopes he’ll finally discover where he belongs. As the story unfolds, this humble but educated toad finds himself in the middle of a civil feud between rival frog clans and a lost kingdom yet to be restored. Thomas wrestles with the tension of being a toad of two worlds, and learns that pride can overtake anyone, and that even victory can defeat the victor. Frog of Arcadia is an enchanting moral epic filled with cowardice and chivalry, pride and majesty, boorishness and heroism. But a divine order holds it all together and, at last, we all reap what we sow.

Kung Linliu, Ph. D.Story of Chinese Idiom (7) The meaning of this idiom "Frog in a Well" is as follows.(1) People live in a small town might be with no great goal for life.(2) Young persons are encouraged to explore the fields where no one has gone before.