“Toad was sitting on his front porch. Frog came along and said, ‘What is the matter. Toad? You are looking sad.’
β’Yes,’ said Toad. ‘This is my sad time of day. It is the time when I wait for the mail to come. It always makes me very unhappy.’
β’Why is that?’ asked Frog.
β’Because I never get any mail,’ said Toad. ‘Not ever?’ asked Frog. ‘No, never,’ said Toad. ‘No one has ever sent me a letter. Every day my mailbox is empty. That is why waiting for the mail is a sad time for me.’
“Frog and Toad sat on the porch, feeling sad together. Then Frog said, ‘I have to go home now. Toad. There is something that I must do.’ Frog hurried home.”
In 1985, director John Clark Matthews brought Frog and Toad’s world to life with claymation. The full film, narrated by its author Arnold Lobel, includes the five stories from the Caldecott Honor book Frog and Toad Are Friends (1970). The charming short above, titled The Letter, is the last story in the classic I CAN READ book.
What does Frog do? And how long will snail mail take?
Will Ryan is the voice of Frog; Hal Smith is the voice of Toad. The full film can be found on Matthew’s YouTube channel.
β’Β Frog and Toad: The Letter, discussion questions and activities from PLATO – Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization.
β’Β Write Letters with Frog and Toad: Harper Collins printables.
Watch these related videos about mail and kindness next:
β’Β Journey of a Letter: How a birthday card is sent and delivered in London
β’ United States Postal Service: Systems at Work
β’ Dumpling Time! (λ§λλ¨Ήλ°©) β A Day of Us
β’Β Right On Tracks: Music videos that encourage kindness, inclusion, and empathy
Bonus: The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1971).
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