Save Cover Preview

Frog

As Kermit the Frog taught us—it’s not easy being green. With good reason, since you’ll likely be dissected in biology class or have your legs gobbled up by a hungry Frenchman. And yet, these slimy creatures have captured our imagination, appearing in everything from fairytales about frog princes to Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Jeremy Fisher and Arnold Lebel’s Frog and Toad. They even appear as a tasty chocolate snack in the Harry Potter series. Examining the significant role played by this slippery amphibian in art, literature, and popular culture, Charlotte Sleigh gives us an entertaining—and sometimes shocking—account of this both loved and misunderstood animal.

Weaving the natural history of the frog together with its mythology, this witty book answers questions like why frogs have been so prominent in science throughout the years and what place the frog holds in religion. Sleigh also explores the frog’s many faces—the devilish and comic, sophisticated and chauvinist, the revolting and delicious. Featuring many images of frogs from nature and culture, Frog—the fiftieth entry into the Animal series—will draw pet owners, frog-leg devourers, and seekers of princes alike.

Read More Read Less

Click here for a special, limited-time offer for the entire Animal series.

Animal

Biological Sciences: Natural History

View all books from Reaktion Books

Reviews
Table of contents
Excerpt
Gallery
Awards
Author Events
Related Titles

Reviews

"Sleigh does a great job of condensing the extensive cultural and scientific literature on frogs into a stream of absorbing facts and stories through which the reader can easily hop. Frog is further brought to life through its collection of thought-provoking and high-quality illustrations. . . . For those readers interested in a rich yet concise account of the biology of frogs and their place in culture, this book is an excellent choice."

Natterchat Magazine

"An engaging volume by the historian of science Sleigh. . . . Readers interested in the animals rather than in human abuse of them will enjoy the high-quality photographs."

Times Literary Supplement

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Just a Kiss
2. Warts and All
3. Them, Us and Frogs
4. Under the Knife
5. Evolution on Fast-forward
6. Of Frogs and Fruitfulness
7. Jumped Up

Timeline
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!