Title: You Stole My Name Too

Author: Dennis McGregor

Illustrator: Dennis McGregor

Publisher/Year: Blue Star Press/2024

Format: Hardcover

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You Stole My Name Too, written and illustrated by Dennis McGregor, was published by Blue Star Press in 2024. This beautiful over-sized picture book, called a “children’s coffee-table-art book”, follows You Stole My Name, which was chosen as a Kirkus Best Indie Picture Books in 2023. The “You Stole My Name” series continues with a third book titled You Stole My Name Tools, which is due out in 2025.

Whereas the first book compares shared animal-to-animal names (e.g. bull and bullfrog) and the third book compares animal-to-tool names (e.g. monkey and monkey wrench), You Stole My Name Too introduces shared animal-to-plant names, such as the tiger and tiger lily depicted in the striking cover image above.

This book is overflowing with gorgeous hand-painted artwork, done in gouache, by Dennis McGregor, who is also a talented designer, songwriter, and musician. Children will delight in the colorful, realistic plants and animals depicted on each two-page spread. They’ll meet a friendly ostrich with an ostrich fern, an aromatic skunk with skunk cabbage, a bright-eyed wolf with wolf lichen, and several more charming animal/plant pairs.

Along with each animal/plant pair, young readers will find Dennis McGregor’s four-line, rhyming poems entertaining and fun, and the text may even induce a bit of laughter from kids and adults alike as each animal questions why their corresponding plant was named after them. Additionally, many of the poems include a touch of educational detail, and, of course, those unfamiliar with some of the plants, especially what they look like, will learn something new too.

Here’s my favorite verse, titled “KiwiFruit” (I’m sure you can guess the animal/plant pair):

I guess you think you look like me?

Sorry, but I disagree.

Yes we’re brown, round, and cute,

but I’m a bird and you’re a fruit!

(The covers of the first and third books in the “You Stole My Name” series)

Just like a picture book about plants and animals is perfect to feature here on Frog on a Blog, all three of these lovely books would make perfect gifts for animal, plant, and art lovers (and tool lovers? 🙂 ) of all ages!

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