It’s not everyday an oversized amphibian shows up on a schoolyard, but on Friday, Fred the Red Frog made his debut at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School.
Students were hopping with excitement and hands were flying up eager to ask Fred questions.
“How old are you?” “Why don’t your eyes close?” “What do you eat?”
Fred the Red Frog is the main character in Robert St. John’s latest book, which is of the same name.
Nationally known as a chef and restaurateur, St. John has authored 10 books including “Fred the Red Frog.”
St. John was scheduled for a book reading, but due to some technical difficulties the reading was thwarted. The projector wasn’t working, and St. John said he didn’t think the children would be able to see the pictures from the book without it.
No problem, the little mishap didn’t keep St. John or Fred from entertaining the children by answering their questions and passing out chocolate covered flies — Fred’ favorite food.
Farrell Roberson said she liked eating a chocolate fly but her friend wasn’t to keen on slipping an insect into her mouth.
“Olivia was scared to eat the chocolate fly,” Farrell said.
Farrell is six-years-old and is a first-grader at St. Francis.
Don’t worry parents — the chocolate delicacies looked a lot like raisins.
With his nine previous books focused on food, St. John said the idea to write a children’s story was inspired from stories he used to tell his own children.
“My wife always read books to our children, and I always told stories and they were always about a red frog that lived in the house,” he said.
Fifty percent of all the books St. John has written have been collaborations.
“I love collaborating with people,” he said.
In “Fred the Red Frog” St. John collaborated with his mother, Dinny, who illustrated the story.
“My mother was an art teacher for 50 years,” he said.
Other St. John collaborations include “A Southern Palate” and “An Italian Palate.” Mississippi artist Wyatt Waters illustrates the coffee table cookbooks, written by St. John.