It may be hard to imagine a high-energy book that features two brothers arguing about whether to read or surf, but Surf’s Up delivers in a cowabunga way. The brothers are two frogs named Bro and Dude, and illustrator Daniel Miyares brings them wonderfully to life with vivid colors, froggy-eyed expressions and plenty of heart-stopping wave action.
Newbery Medal winner Kwame Alexander’s text is short and ultra snappy. Dude wants to surf, but his brother prefers to finish his book “about a man looking for a whale.” Dude declares that books are “BOOOORING!” but he’s easily lured in as Bro describes his book with such excitement (“BOOYAH! They found the whale again.”).
With both frogs immersed in the Moby-Dick saga, a bit of literary magic occurs, as readers and frogs alike get caught up in two concurrent dramas: Bro and Dude heading to the beach to surf, and Bro and Dude imagining themselves trying to catch the great white whale.
This bit of metafiction works seamlessly, framed with lively dialogue that will ensure Surf’s Up’s popularity as a read-aloud.
This article was originally published in the February 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
