The Froggy Library – Welcome to Soggy Stump

by Kevin Wolf

There’s lots to learn in The Froggy Library by Julie Fiveash, who is Diné (preferred name of the indigenous Navajo people). The writing is straightforward and honest … even not having all the answers to very difficult topics. The drawings are nicely simple with great coloring by Jess Lome. Protagonist Anura (they/their), a young anthropomorphic indigenous frog spends their summer with their grandmother, Grandma, in the Soggy Stump community. Grandma suggests Anura go to the Soggy Stump library to overcome their boredom. The library opens up a new world of books and activities, like making mini-comics. Anura’s library assignment is to create an archive of community information. Anura’s name comes from the scientific order for frogs (Latin meaning: without tail). This book discusses memories—making your own and appreciating others’—learning about yourself and fitting into family and community. The metaphorical, rain-filled, holding-on-to-memories dream Anura has (179 – 196) is one of the most emotionally powerful comic sequences that I’ve ever read. I highly recommend The Froggy Library for grade and middle school age people and their parents.

Most of the anthropomorphic frogs have plant names (Grandma Juniper, cousin Flower, librarian Fern, librarian helper Sage, Moss the business owner and library volunteer, Lavender, gardener of fruits and vegetables, and Grandma’s friend Olive. We learn the lifecycle of those living in Soggy Stump from tadpole to elders.

There is a primary reason that The Froggy Library is a part of the graphic medicine world, but explaining it creates a dilemma for me. The difficulty that I have is that broaching the medical topic is a spoiler for this book, because it doesn’t appear until chapter five. So, I can ask you to trust me that an important medical topic will arise or I can tell you what it is? I’ll try and get around this dilemma by doing both, but warning you when the spoiler is coming and allowing you to not learn what that spoiler is by not reading the last paragraph in this review. I don’t expect the book’s primary audience (grade and middle schoolers) to read this review, but their parents might; so, am I spoiling The Froggy Library or educating their parents on a book they might want to suggest for their children? On to the review …

Olive teaches Anura about indigenous weaving: the materials, dyes, tools, styles, and how they tell stories. Lavender teaches Anura about gardening, the health of the planet, and archiving seeds. As a tadpole, Anura learned comics can help teach you to read, so they were ready to start making their own. Moss, a library volunteer, and Gemma, teaches Anura how to make mini-comics and zines: do-it-yourself drawing and writing creations with pencil/pen, paper, folding, cutting with scissors, stapling, and displaying.

We learn some Diné (Deh nEH) words. Grandma calls Anura Shíyázhí (“my child” or “my little one,” her affectionate name for them. We learn other Diné vocabulary (244 – 245, including Ahéhee’ (thanks), Cheii (maternal grandfather), Shiyaaa (sheesh), Yá’át’ééh (hello “it is good”). (See www.Navajowotd.com for word lessons.)

Anura asks Grandma what it’s like to get old and she responds that it’s both fun and scary. She says, “Your body starts to creak, you don’t move as well any more but … it’s worth it to watch your young relatives grow into themselves and learn more about yourself too. The learning never stops, really [146].”

The Froggy Library closes with an Ahéhee’ (acknowledging thanks), the cast and their traits, what Soggy Stump’s locale is based on, some bonus comics and a bit about the author and artist.  I hope we get the chance to visit new stories at Soggy Stump soon.

******GRAPHIC MEDICINE SPOILER FOLLOWS ******

For its environmental lesson, The Froggy Library by Julie Fiveash seemed destined to be categorized as a Medical Mention, until Chapter Five when Anura’s grandmother (spoiler) dies. When Grandma and Anura discussed aging, Grandma has a coughing fit and needs her asthma inhaler to breath normally again. But weeks later after collapsing from another round of coughing, Grandma is rushed to emergency services and hospitalized. Grandma remains unconscious, is put on a respirator, and enters hospice; presumably following Grandma’s wishes. Anura is very upset. They go back to work at the library because they don’t want to stay at home. They try to suppress tears by working on the community archive. Sage honestly says about Anura, “They’re totally out of it [155].” Most of the rest of The Froggy Library is about Anura’s grief and how to keep memories about Grandma alive. This leads to that very emotional sequence mentioned in the first paragraph. Anura has several valuable discussions with their cousin Flower and other friends.