Tiddalik the Frog Retellings Book Reviews
Different Versions of Australian Aboriginal Traditional Folk Tale
Apr 11, 2009
The Australian traditional folk tale Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog can be used by parents and teachers to teach lessons about water conservation for kids and about the importance of sharing and community life.
Teach Lessons With Australian Aboriginal Traditional Folk Tale
Specific lessons might include:
- The effects of a drought on a land and the animals that live there.
- Why animals and plants need water and how they use water.
- How causes and effects are related (for example, a lack of water causes a drought; if the animals make Tiddalik laugh, he will let the water he guzzled up spill back out).
- Information about water conservation for kids.
- How the members of a community can and must work together so that everyone's needs are met.
- What different kinds of animals live in Australia (wombat, platypus, kangaroo, bandicoot, the original frog on which Tiddalik is based, etc.).
Plot of Tiddalick the Frog Folktale
The basic plot of this Australian folk tale is that a huge frog drinks up all the water and the other animals in the community must make him laugh so that he will spit the water back onto the land. Many versions of the story of Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog exist. In some, Tiddalik is grumpy or greedy, while in others he is merely thirsty and oblivious to the needs of others. Here are some of the best picture book retellings of this Australian Aboriginal tale from the Dreamtime.
The Biggest Frog in Australia and Tiddalick the Frog
In both The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan L. Roth [Simon & Schuster, 1996] and Tiddalick the Frog by Susan Nunes [Atheneum, 1989], all attempts to get the big frog to laugh fail until a pair of eels (The Biggest Frog in Australia) or one eel (Tiddalick the Frog) accidentally tie themselves up into knots. In both cases, Tiddalick finds this sight so funny that he laughs, and all the water comes rushing back out.
Both of these versions of this Australian folk tale are suitable for kids ages 4 to 8. Tiddalick the Frog is illustrated with watercolor pictures full of soothing pastel corals, yellows, blues, and (when the water returns) greens, while The Biggest Frog in Australia is illustrated with simple cut-paper collages made with papers collected from all over the world. The Biggest Frog in Australia also includes a glossary at the end to define Australian words like billabong.
Tiddalik the Frog by Anne Faundez
In Tiddalik the Frog by Anne Faundez [QEB Publishing, 2004], Tiddalik laughs at the sight of one eel just wriggling on his belly. This version is suitable for ages 4 to 8, but advanced 3-year-olds will enjoy the vibrantly colored illustrations and comic antics of the various animals as well. Tiddalik is big but not scary, and the animals, especially Little Eel, are cute and friendly looking. The last two spreads helpfully include reading comprehension questions and teaching notes for parents and teachers.
Hey, Frog! by Piet Grobler
Hey, Frog! by Piet Grobler [Hand Print, 1998] changes the familiar Tiddalick story by setting it on the African savannah and making the cause of Frog's laughter being that he is tickled by eels. The pen-and-watercolor illustrations are clever and funny (especially the sly look on Frog's face as he slurps up more and more water through his straw), but this version contains some implied violence that might make it inappropriate for a younger audience. For example, Lion tries to scratch the water out of Frog, Crocodile tries to frighten Frog, and Crow curses at Frog (though the curses are not included in the text, just pictured as little barbed arrows). Overall, this version of the Australian traditional folk tale should be suitable for ages 4 to 8.
What Made Tiddalik Laugh
In What Made Tiddalik Laugh by Joanna Troughton [Peter Bedrick Books, 1986], it is the sight of the funny-looking platypus that finally makes the big frog laugh. This version is nicely illustrated, with detailed pictures in earth tones and subtly humorous expressions on the animals' faces. However, some parents may find inappropriate the spread where the animals play nasty tricks on each other (like tripping each other and poking one another with sticks) to try to make Tiddalik laugh. In general, it should also be suitable for kids ages 4 to 8.
Other Tiddalik the Frog Retellings
Enough versions of this charming Australian Aboriginal tale exist that every family should be able to find one suitable for storytime. For a read-aloud version of the original folk tale, parents can check out "The Greedy Frog" in The Barefoot Book of Animal Tales retold by Naomi Adler [Barefoot Books, 1996].
Preschool readers may enjoy watching the Super WHY! episode Tiddalick the Frog (from the PBS Kids® show) and trying out some related Earth Day activities about water conservation for kids. Teachers can try an integrated reading and science water conservation lesson plan using Tiddalik the Frog.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
