Author Event: Katie Palazzola
The grounded magic of Miyazaki meets a timeless sibling adventure story in this account of legend, truth, and the overlap thereof.
When Kit's little brother Peedie worries for the safety of a cluster of frog eggs they find by the pond, Kit tosses out an easy reassurance: the Great Frog will look after them. In the following days, though, Peedie's questions keep the tall tale growing bigger. Now, Kit tells him, the Great Frog has a horse in the stars and a castle on the moon, a fountain and a garden and a lasso. And pretty soon Peedie is sure the Great Frog will visit any day now. But when Kit at last comes clean that she made it all up, Peedie isn't upset like she feared. Just because something is a story, he points out, doesn't mean it's not true; and there are still protectors of the small in the world.
Dreamy, timeless, and deeply philosophical in the way all four-year-olds are, The Great Frog deftly captures the bond between a big sister trying to get things right and a little brother who knows she can do no wrong. Katie Palazzola's thoughtful, funny text and lush illustrations are a treat for siblings, worriers, and nature lovers alike.
About the Author:
Katie Palazzola is an author-illustrator from St. Louis, Missouri. She shares a little purple house with her husband and daughter, where she writes, draws, and daydreams about the multiverse. She loves to collect rocks, visit her garden, and chase her kid through muddy puddles. As humble curator of her daughter's library, Katie is dedicated to creating books that surprise and delight. Her stories are whimsical, magically strange, and brimming with quirky humor. Katie's debut picture books, THE GREAT FROG and BEFORE AND AFTER, will be published by Neal Porter Books in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Review Quotes:
[A]n insightful picture book debut from Palazzola that's set around a clutch of frogspawn. . . . Mixed-media artwork imbues the Great Frog's domain with rich texture and romanticism, while the children's world remains simplified in thin-lined cartoons. Via smart vignettes, the children's frank discussion captures something essential about protecting vulnerability that's worth dwelling on.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
With succinct wordplay, the book effortlessly highlights a specific kind of kid logic. . . . [E]choes gentle sibling relationships everywhere. . . . Tenderly appreciative of the very small, whether that's brothers or amphibians.
--Kirkus Reviews
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3577177-0
