Frog has the opportunity to be of real service to his friends in this sixth entry in Max Velthuijs' beloved picture-book series devoted to his adventures and misadventures, first published in Dutch as Kikker is een Held. Delighted at first, when it begins to rain, Frog eventually finds that even a water-loving amphibian like himself can get too much a good thing, when the river floods, and his house is inundated. Seeking shelter at Duck's house, and then Pig's, and finally ending up all together at Hare's island home, as the waters rise, the friends are inconvenienced, but not endangered. Until, that is, the day the food runs out, and Frog decides that, as the best swimmer, he must go for help...

Although not the final story in the Frog series - I understand that there are twelve altogether - Frog Is a Hero is the last title owned by my library system, so my exploration of Velthuijs' work ends (at least for the time being) here. As with the previous books, I found this one charming, both in story and artwork. I appreciated the fact that a character from a previous story - Rat, the stranger in Frog and the Stranger, who once again plays a helpful role - reappears here! All in all, another engaging entry in this sweet picture-book series! ( )