Ladybug Nominee Profile

Author Mo Willems wrote this story about friendship through the seasons which was beautifully illustrated by painter John J. Muth

"Muth sets a limpid rural scene for Willems's two unlikely friends in this tranquil tale of change. ...Willems's concise sentences, paired with joking illustrations in his other works, lose their hilarity-but gain significant emotional weight-when matched with Muth's watercolors. Pink blossoms and red maple leaves allude to Japanese art; Muth pictures Country Frog as a wise tutor who tosses a stick for his apprentice and, in a rain shower, protectively holds a leaf over the dog. The understated episodes acknowledge the transitory nature of the seasons and of life itself." (Publisher's Weekly review)

This is one of the ten titles nominated for the 2011 Ladybug Picture Book Award. Mr. Willem's work has been nominated before: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale  was nominated in 2005.