Frog and Toad All Year

Frog and Toad All Year is an American picture book written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel, published by Harper & Row in 1976. It is the third book in the Frog and Toad series, whose four books completed by Lobel each comprises five easy-to-read short stories.

Characters
The two friends, Frog and Toad, are portrayed by the author with human-like personalities and amphibian appearance. The situations in which they find themselves are a cross between the human and animal worlds. Along with Lobel's other Frog and Toad books, Frog and Toad All Year is valued by experts in children's literature for its portrayal of the value of friendship.

Summary
Friends Frog and Toad, who have quite different personalities, have adventures through the seasons...

Down the Hill
Frog invites Toad to go sledding with him, on a trip that doesn't go as planned. Afterwards, Toad opts to continue spending Winter indoors.

The Corner
Frog recalls how he searched for Spring around various corners when he was very young, eventually finding it around the corner of his house. This prompts him and Toad to do another search after the rain clears.

Ice Cream
Toad finds himself in a sticky situation when he buys ice cream cones for himself and Frog, one hot Summer day. He and Frog buy new cones soon afterwards.

The Surprise
Frog and Toad secretly sneak out to rake the other's leaves. However, an Autumn wind gives the two an even bigger surprise.

Christmas Eve
Toad becomes concerned when Frog is late for their Christmas celebration, and considers some horrific possibilities. It turns out, Frog had simply taken some extra time to wrap a Christmas present.

Adaptations
The book has been adapted as a musical, written by Willie and Robert Reale and entitled A Year with Frog and Toad, opened on Broadway, and was also performed by the Second Story Repertory, by Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, and by the Chicago Children's Theatre, among others. The stories have also been produced as an audio book.

Reception
Frog and Toad All Year won a Christopher Award in 1977. It is listed in the New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children.

Kirkus Reviews wrote, "We miss some of the resonant psychological heft of this pair's previous experiences, but Frog and Toad can still transform the most ordinary seasonal activities into celebrations."