Frog Boots

Dylan is about to start attending a new school and really wants something new and super cool . . . and finally lands on a pair of purple boots covered with poison dart frogs. They make him feel “cool and smart. Taller, even.” That is, until he proudly sticks his feet in the center for Circle Time and is met by the laughter of his classmates, who have deemed his boots to be “girl boots.” The boots that have brought embarrassment instead of instant popularity are relegated to the closet until Dylan remembers that he really does love poison dart frogs and that his boots used to make him feel really awesome, at which point they gradually work their way back into his life—first on weekends and then finally to school again, where validation from a new friend, Jeremy, allows Dylan to walk tall. While the message that certain colors need not be relegated to the realm of either just boys or just girls is a positive one, Frog Boots feels more like an agenda in story form than a story in its own right. The final resolution, where Dylan’s confidence is bolstered by Jeremy, has the potential for engendering warm fuzzies, until it’s hampered by Jeremiah’s long laughter, which feels directed at the antagonistic girl, seemingly encouraging meeting bullying with bullying. The illustrations are simple, with fun paint effects (particularly in the hair).