Ping: A Frog In Search of a New Pond

By Stuart Avery Gold

If you enjoyed Who Moved My Cheese?, you'll love Ping: A Frog In Search of a New Pond. Ping is about a frog who loves to jump and spash around but whose pond dries up.

Ping sets out to find a new pond. But he's foiled by the dense forest.

Avery writes: "He felt defeated and disheartened, a sad, inept creature, doomed to a miserable life with no possibility for tomorrow, and that, quite simply was that. …Who was he to think he possessed the abilities to get what he wanted out of life? …it's probably safe to say there are limits to what a frog's psyche can endure…."

Just as he was most dejected, Ping meets a wise old owl who teaches him about life. Owl helps prepare Ping for a dangerous journey across Spat River. According to Owl, beyond Splat River is Emperor's Garden, a frog paradise.

Owl advises, "If the path you travel has no obstacles, it leads nowhere." (Oh, yeah, great advice coming from a bird). Owl says, "Too many wait for just the right time and just the right place to act. The very act of waiting actually pushes the desired events away. You must do in order to be."

Owl then gives Ping a crash course in risk analysis. "Owl explained that in order to experience wonder you have to experience the taking of risks. Risk converts opportunity into reality."

Then, it gets a bit weird. Owl puts Ping on a serious Rocky-type exercise regimen to get him into shape for swimming Splat River. Ping hangs from a tree with one pound rocks between his toes. And, of course, Ping does plenty of jumping jacks.

Eventually, Ping is ready to brave Splat River. Avery surprises us with a twist in the ending.

Ping is a well-written and clever book. It's illustrated with cute drawings of Ping. My favorite shows Ping sitting in a yoga-meditation position on a tree stump. This book is a great inspirational gift idea for the holidays.