Andreone, Franco

Firenze University Press: E-Journals

Acta Herpetologica 11(1): 99-100, 2016
ISSN 1827-9635 (print) © Firenze University Press 
ISSN 1827-9643 (online) www.fupress.com/ah
DOI: 10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-18119
Book Review:
Susan Newman. Frogs amphibians and their threatened environment. 
Discovery and expression through Art K-3. Frogs are green
Franco Andreone
Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, I-10123 Torino, Italy. E-mail: franco.andreone@regione.piemonte.it
It is my strong conviction that science and research 
are useless without a parallel diffusion and dissemina-
tion to people. Indeed, well-known evaluation meth-
ods, such as impact factor (IF) and Hirsch (H) indices, 
are rather good methods established by measuring the 
quotation of a paper by other (scientific) people, usu-
ally scientists in scientific journals. In other words, 
citation indices still remain in the same “environment”, 
with a scientific community basically quoting itself. 
On the opposite, I believe that one of the best and real 
indicators of a paper (or of man’s career) is the capac-
ity to pass through walls and reach common people, in 
order to transmit information and provide useful educa-
tion and instruction. At the end, whether this is done in 
early or adult age, it does not really matter. Personally, I 
believe that this can be done in an easiest and most effi-
cient way by specifically addressing to children. As we 
all know, kids are eager to learn and to understand. Eve-
rything. In such a sense, talking to them about amphib-
ians maybe a weird idea, but, at the end, a good propos-
al indeed, and a good way to address their interests and 
sensitivities in the future, specially seen the need for 
new generations to conserve amphibians and their envi-
ronments (AmphibiaWeb, 2016).
In such a sense the book “built” (not only and not 
simply written) by Susan Newman is for me a real jewel. 
In many ways. This book is mainly destined to educa-
tors and provides a true roadmap to teach young readers 
and explorers the love for amphibians. Susan has coped 
her strong passion for frogs (she is the founder and the 
promoter of “Frogs are green”, a non profit organisation 
created in 2009 to bring awareness to what’s happening 
on our planet, especially to the fact that frogs everywhere 
are disappearing: http://frogsaregreen.org/) with art. In 
such a way the aim of the organisation is to give kids the 
opportunity to learn about the environment, frogs and 
other amphibians, and to express themselves through art. 
In this way Susan’s love for science has been put together 
with the great and somehow innate interest that children 
(in this case up to the age of 3 years) have for frogs and 
drawings. 
The book chapters (in reality, much more than a sim-
ple book, Susan’s work is a sort of handbook: easy to be 
followed) has been designed directly by Susan (who is 
a graphic by profession) to give educators a roadmap to 
teach kids about amphibians, animals that, at the end, are 
not easy to find in nature and even to spot in zoological 
parks, although frogs and toads are true characters which 
often inhabit childhood tales. The pages of the book are 
full of interesting and correct information, accompanied 
by a wealth of photographs as well (many of which rep-
resents frogs from my beloved Madagascar), with explicit 
and clear indications about Youtube links where looking 
at videos. Photos represents animals and environments. 
Although, of course, frogs are dominant all through the 
text, many other animal species are represented. This is 
because the final aim of the book is to talk about envi-
ronments with the excuse of dealing with amphibians. 
Frogs depicted in the photos are species with peculiar 
and fantastic colourations and forms, but also more com-
mon species and, in several cases, dead animals, as in the 
case of chytrid effects. I believe that is really important to 
show that animals and nature are not only and not always 
beautiful and attractive, but in many cases suffer of pol-
100 Franco Andreone
lution and other kinds of threats. In this ways, kids learn 
and understand what should be done. 
As already said, one of the ways children are driven 
to understand (maybe love) amphibians pass through 
art. All through the text kids are asked to draw what they 
heard and learned. This is really important, since drawing 
activity becomes a true way to approach the inner feel-
ings and transform the “simple” and sometimes trivial 
science teaching in a real sentiment for conserving fragile 
creatures and environments. 
The book is structured in six chapters. In the first 
chapter Susan presents general aspects about frogs and 
amphibians. This is done with the use of photographs and 
solicit the small readers to draw using different colours 
and shapes. Chapter two (The food chain) introduces 
the variety of ecological adaptations in amphibians using 
slideshows, videos and discussions. Chapter three (Frog 
friendly habitats) presents rainforests and other habitats 
in the world hosting a great variety of amphibians. This 
argument is much more given in details in Chapter four 
(Biodiversity and the Rainforest). In this teachers invite 
kids to paint themselves as frogs. In Chapter five (Repro-
duction & care of young) the variety of breeding modes 
and development is illustrated in detail, soliciting the sur-
prise of young people  using videos and links. Finally, in 
Chapter six (Threats to survival), amphibians are present-
ed as fragile organisms and major threats are discussed 
using photos, videos and direct explanations. 
At the end, Susan’s book turns out to be an interesting 
experiment where passion for animals goes together with 
education. This is something that researchers and academ-
ics should always take in mind when doing science: conser-
vation, in a changing world, is possibly the first target. And 
passes always through comprehension and understanding.
REFERENCES
AmphibiaWeb (2016): AmphibiaWeb: Information on 
amphibian biology and conservation. Berkeley.


Susan Newman. Frogs amphibians and their threatened environment. Discovery and expression through Art K-3. Frogs are green.

http://www.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/download/18119/17199

Susan Newman. Frogs amphibians and their threatened environment. Discovery and expression through Art K-3. Frogs are green.

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