Importance of the Little Corroboree Frog

Running head: IMPORTANCE OF THE LITTLE CORROBOREE FROG
IMPORTANCE OF THE LITTLE CORROBOREE FROG
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1IMPORTANCE OF THE LITTLE CORROBOREE FROG
Answer to Question 1
Genre
The Little Corroboree Frog belongs to the genre of narrative realistic fiction (Holton-
Ramirez and Ramirez, 2013). Employed with the qualities of a fable, where animals can talk
in human tongue and interact with humans, the story exquisitely presents a realistic picture of
how human beings are ignorantly destroying the ecosystem every day (McDonald, 2018).
Although short and crisp, the story has all the literary devices that are typical of an engaging
piece of literature.
Text Chosen
Presented in a lucid language, with sporadic use of comparatively difficult terms to
strike a child’s inquisitive chord, and detailed illustrations, the book gives a strong social
message in the simplest of methods, which is appropriate for primary school children. The
story helps in cognitive development of the students, at the same time raising a social and
environmental awareness among them. The fine use of literary elements and techniques
appeals to the impressionable minds of the children, developing their critical thinking
capability at the same time. Thus it adheres to the pre-requisites listed by the Australian
Curriculum for its inclusion into children’s syllabus.
Answer to Question 2
Within the corpus of its short length, it may be said that The Little Corroboree Frog
adheres to Freytag’s Pyramid of plot construction, where the climactic point is reached when
the fate of the tadpoles stand on uncertain grounds (Li, et al. 2017). The theme of perverse
human activities taking a heavy toll on the endangered species on the micro level and the
whole environment on the macro, is beautifully established through the narrative. The visual

2IMPORTANCE OF THE LITTLE CORROBOREE FROG
impact created by the illustration further adds on to the intellectual vision. The balance in the
symmetrical positioning of the formal text and cartoonized illustrations help in this process.
Balance has been maintained in the use of close, mid-range and long shot picture which
successfully establishes a social relationship between the characters and the viewer (Callow,
2013). The use of rich colour and organic shapes in the illustration finely describes the
marshy setting and the characters’ interaction with it, allowing a child’s imagination to have a
full play. It helps a child to empathize with the characters’ problems which is furthered by the
third person narration. The character of a Grandmother Frog adds on to the story-telling
element. In the garb of a child-like story, the story presents a serious conflict between
characters and circumstances.
Answer to Question 3
The idea of compassionate interaction among the human and animal world
concentrates on the ethical values and responsibilities of human beings towards the
environment, thereby shaping the perspectives of children to behave responsibly in their
interactions with the ecosystem. For this purpose, the author has craftily made use of
figurative language, using harsh consonants to portray the harsh realities. The immediate
issue of rubbish dumping gets magnified in the Grandmother Frog’s claim of the summers
getting hotter, thereby addressing the universal conflict global warming against the well-
being of living creatures. Hyperbolic statements like the child’s description of the frog’s
beautiful colours – “most beautiful colours and patterns on Jet’s back” – furthers the
compassionate element of children so that they can interact with the environment in a more
friendly manner (Holton-Ramirez and Ramirez, 2013). The story also gives ideas about the
living condition of frogs, and shows how small acts of negligence by humans have a severe
impact on other species. A combination of didactic and engaging element is further