I really appreciate when stories like this are taken seriously and not dismissed as simple nonsense for children. They are worthwhile for all readers. Stories are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten
@@Frac.Razoer To paraphrase Emma Swan, "Pretty sure I've dated a few." Dragons might steal your time or the brightness in your eyes and they might have words that scorch like fire. Not everything is as it seems.
"They ate wet sandwiches without any tea" is a beautiful line. It underscores that the important thing wasn't the meal; it was that they were sharing it.
Not only that, I think the idea of consuming wet sandwiches always had been unpleasant, but there's a reason why they don't mind having it. As if they're basically saying that "Hey it doesn't matter the sandwich is wet now, you made it and we're going to appreciate it anyway." It's the act of acceptance towards the love by someone is possibly ruined/flawed (symbolised by the the Toad fell into the waters), and them loving the person anyway.
I like how the “Alone” story ends with “they were two close friends sitting alone together” Theres something deep there, and to me its how natural and healthy i think it is for friends to just enjoy eachothers presence, without feeling the need to always be actively engaging with eachother. You just cycle through moments of conversation and then moments of being alone with your thoughts, but with friends.
I think lobel does an amazing job showing comfortable silence. everyone is able to interact, but not everyone is comfortable with each other to not feel the need to interact. it takes work, patience, and trust to get there, all of which frog and toad have for each other. lobel is incredible
Growing up very poor, I never purchased any books from the scholastic book form that was handed out. A friend gave me “Frog and Toad” bc he knew I really wanted it but never had any money. I carried this book around like it was gold. This book inspired me to draw. I love the earthy colors Thanks for sharing.
I know the whole "touch grass" thing has sorta lost meaning with overuse, but I can't put into words how important it is to just connect with nature and get out of your own head...and get away from the echo chambers, get in touch with yourself, feel small, etc.
They do say that "touching some grass and being nature" has been shown in some studies to minimize depression. Not very much study on it but I 100% buy it. Of course ppl feel less depressed when your responsibilities have been limited to "dont get sick. Stay warm. Eat. Sleep. Have fun. Spy on a bird. Don't die." Instead of "don't die. Pay bill as soon as you wake up! 5 cups of coffee. Work. Try not to murder yoir boss. Groceries. Try getting through traffic without dying. Pick up kids. Avoid sister's phone calls. 3 piles of laundry. Stress over finances and job. Does my family love me? Make dinner. Shower. Clean room and kitchen." Modern life imo is causing unhealthy mental habits bc we are just living unnaturally for our species and planet. Of course we are all sick. I've found so much liberation in breaking from modern expectations and just living simply and slowly and appreciating the people I have while i have them and actually GOING to visit my loved ones instead of just calling them. Also reminds them they are loved enough for me to black outan entire period on my calendar just for them instead of just sending a "thinking of u" text ot call them while I'm distracted with dishes.
Fucking please retire touch grass already. It’s been a saying for like decades yet all of you just started overusing the hell out of it because you’re drone NPCs and you just copy what you see
I felt so bad for Toad in his bathing suit when all the animals laughed at him after they all promised not to. It was like feeling insecure and being betrayed/insulted by people that claimed to care about you 😢
This is one of the best children’s book series. Frog And Toad Are Friends changed my life as a kid. I was super insecure as a kid because I felt like Toad; awkward, silly, selfish and lazy, while I saw my brother as Frog; selfless, competent, patient and kind. It mad me sad because I saw our relationship as one-sided. I read that book and cried because I realized that it was ok, and that’s what friends do: the frogs of the world uplift the toads of the world by kindness and a good example. I began to realize that someday I would have to be Frog to someone else, and I would also be Toad again too. Now I know that it all evens out. We are all both Frog and Toad, to different people in our lives at different times. Frog Are Toad Friends is probably my favorite book of all time.
I heard more in your comment than the video. When the subject presented is filtered through an agenda the meaning seems..lessened. Thanks for sharing your beautiful and compassionate interpretation. May we all be Frog and also Toad in our times, and know that's alright.
This video is the adult equivalent to sitting on the carpet for storytime in kindergarten. Thank you for making this; it was strangely therapeutic. You posed interesting ideas and had me thinking the entire time.
The description of Frog and Toad being children with an adult's freedom better puts in to perspective what exactly is going on with Spongebob, having a job and a house, but going to boating school and playing with simpler pleasures like bubbles and 'bug catching'.
Funny story, when I was in kindergarten we used to read their books and I was a huge fan. Well, we had a field trip to go to the local playhouse to see a Frog and Toad play. Naturally, I was super excited that I was going to see the real Frog and Toad. When the play started, two adult men walked out on stage claiming to be the titular characters. 6 year old me was so disappointed that it wasn’t an actual frog and toad that I was in a sour mood for the rest of the play. They did hand out animal crackers at the end, so it did make me feel a little better, but I never forgot that feeling of betrayal at being denied the "real" Frog and Toad.
This made me laugh, especially because I read about the play while researching and when I saw the photos I thought “ngl, I’d be disappointed if I saw this as a kid” 😂
I saw the play on a 2nd grade school trip! I was also weirded out by the 2 adult men playing frog and toad but I remember their song about the cookies slapped
That is the same reaction that JRR Tolkien allegedly had to seeing a production of Macbeth for the first time. He was so excited when “the woods” were to supposed to move against Macbeth, but it turned out just be the enemy army in disguise with branches etc. it is allegedly the reason he wrote the Ents rising against Isengard, because he wanted to see it for real. At least according the Lord of the Rings special features DVDs 😅
Oh my god, OP, that is SO stinkin' adorable. Being told you were gonna meet your actual celebrity icons live and in-person, only to have that dream ripped away. Tragic.
I had a different interpretation of The Dream, but yours is great and it makes a lot of sense in the context of the series. My interpretation is that Toad is envisioning himself as the greatest in the world, and continually builds himself and his ego up by asking Frog if he could do whatever stunt Toad is doing. But he doesn’t know that he’s making Frog feel bad about himself (symbolized by Frog growing smaller every time he says no) until he’s disappeared. And Toad realizes being the greatest in the world means nothing if it costs him the most important person in his life.
I think the idea that the are Lobel's inner voices is actually really beautiful. Frog represents the voice of self love and acceptance, and toad is the critic, protector, and stability.
there’s something to be said about this dichotomy of “youthful childlike optimist” and “pessimistic worn down cynic” that seems present in memorable childhood media Emplemon has a video on Spongebob Squarepants and basically states that it’s not only memorable for us but also still connects with us now because the contrast of Spongebob and Squidward as duos. Spongebob is us when we’re younger and how we see the world, Squidward is how we see ourselves and the world when we’re older. i think this can apply to Frog and Toad as well. i remember thinking as a child, “why does Toad always complain, why can’t it go his way, etc etc” but as i’ve gotten older i realized i relate to Toad more than i’d ever have wanted to admit.
@@deanmoriarty6015 It parallels voices in our minds that psychologists often say are there to protect us. A youthful view that looks at the world with wonder and excitement, and then a protective adult. I don't think the voices are diametrically opposed. I'd say that SpongeBob and Squidward seem to be at odds with one another, mostly from the adult voices distain for the youthful wonder, but with toad and frog they are like two sides of the same coin. They are more complimentary then at odds with one another. A lot of plot comes from the misunderstanding from their view points, much like SpongeBob. I do think that the show SpongeBob makes a bit of a judgement on the Squidward voice, that he is just opposed to SpongeBob in order to be opposed. The resolution in that show can often come in a form of punishment at Squidwards expense, for example the episode where SpongeBob gets Squidward to indulge in a Krabby patty and it ends with Squidwards thighs exploding. It seems a judgement on the adult voice, while frog and toad don't judge each voice and instead note the genuine care and love behind each other's actions. I could imagine frog getting carried away with burgers and toad being opposed or nervous, but then toad saving him then trying a burger only to admit he likes the burger, but moderation is a better way to enjoy snacks.
Similarly, it also feels like a balance of feminine (intuitive/nurturing/right brain) and masculine (logical/protective/left brain) energy. Everyone has these in them, albeit in different ratios.
My single mom would read these to me as a baby. I'm a single dad that read them to my son as a baby. My earliest memories are of reading 'Frog and Toad are Friends' with my mom. Its a part of what kind of dad I am now. It's an important series to me and it looks like lots of others. This video makes the world seem smaller. Less unfamiliar.
The whole cottage core aesthetic is really a longing for a life where there isn’t so much chaos. I really miss living in the countryside, but I also remember a lot of bad memories during that period. But being surrounded by nature felt like I always had somewhere to go if I needed some space. In the city it’s not as easy.
I agree, and I don’t think it’s ignoring the fact that people, especially in developing countries, do not live that type of existence or disrespecting them. Guilt doesn’t help them though. Only action will. Ignoring your own mental health will not. It’s about escape It’s about the idealized thatched roof rose, covered English country cottage that few people are fortunate to have but it is a dream for many
Exactly, even in the suburbs you feel especially boxed in. I've got to experience the city, the country and the suburbs and if I had to choose I'd probably pick living out in the country but it's easier said than done.
It is definitely viewed with rose colored nostalgic glasses rather than the true reality. Small towns are often worse than big city living as it can be more insidious. I think most long for a nonexistent utopia though. It's like how people view the 50s and 60s as some great time period when they were anything but.
It might seem silly but about 10 minutes into this video I started crying, it wasn't quite a sad cry it was almost nostalgic of being a child and not knowing what emotion I was feeling. It was the most ok I had felt in a very long time, like I just let myself be and realised I was not alone. Thank you
the one story from frog and toad that burnt deep into memory was the cookie story. the whole will power to not finish all the cookies... somehow, the illustrations for that particular stories, esp how they eat the cookies in every moment just really got me as a kid. always felt like I wanted to eat cookies after reading the story. it just feels "tasty" just seeing them eat the cookies in the drawing lol.... very rare I get such an effect from drawings so this is quite an exception.
Hate if this sours the mood but I sometimes think of this story when I’m struggling with not drinking booze and I think of this story and tell myself to not drink. Crazy how getting older turned the cookies to the bottle for me. 😅
I read these to and with my son when he was a little guy. He’s nearly 47! Where did those years go!? We both have such lovely memories of the truly delightful ‘Frog and Toad’ books. Just precious. ♥️
As a little girl I remember my child mind reacting to the stories often with deep concern for the characters. I was an anxious child. I read them to my son in my early 20’s and I watched his little face accept the stories for face value. He’s a kind person. In my late 40’s I’ve read them to my grandson who regularly interjects with frank, demanding questions. He is a quintessential, passionate problem solver. These books have been a joy in my life and I treasure them. Also I took the cookies at face value for portion control and will power struggles with food because that story was always just too real. 😂
I think they can be anything to anyone, a gay relationship, an asexual relationship, a reminder of your brother who you spend time with and miss, a friend you loved. It's what makes these books great.
Yeah. This is the problem today. No one can appreciate the idea of UNIVERSAL appeal, that you can IDENTIFY with people that don't explicitly represent you. It's undoubtedly true that Lobel's viewpoint as a closeted gay man influenced his perspective as an author, but he didn't make these stories about "same sex love" or a commentary on LGBT issues and that's WHY they have such wide appeal and are beloved by so many. And it's exactly that reason why there's such a lack of these kinds of timeless stories today because modern writers feel like they MUST pigeonhole their characters and stories to be representative specific "identities" and "communities" rather than inherently human ideals, struggles, and values.
@@nimapocalyse9569 Well both are important, some people have a severe lack of representation and want to see their experiences in media. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.
@@CrystalRose1111 you're absolutely correct, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with it. In fact, a specific viewpoint informed by one's unique identity or experience is often the thing that motivates someone to create art or a story to begin with. Where it becomes an issue in my opinion, and what we are seeing in excess today, is when the IDENTITY ITSELF becomes the entire focus of the story, even to the point where there is a fundamental LACK of universal appeal and at the expense of unifying endeavor. In fact, there are numerous identity based stories that writers and actors have outright said "are not for you" if you don't hold the featured identity, and then turn around and cry bigotry when audiences refuse to watch. I see it as a sad devolution of what I consider to be the fundamental art form of human nature.
@@nimapocalyse9569 I mean it’s definitely a grey area because a lot of shows that try to promote inclusivity are poorly written. I’m all about inclusive shows are actually well written and entertaining to watch. The first one that comes to mind is She-Ra and the princess of power. A poor example would be that fuckin Velma series that’s coming out lol
@@nimapocalyse9569 Yeah if your entire being is based on your skin tone , political ideology or who you sleep with, that's the problem. The idea that you can't identity with or learn something from someone who looks or thinks different than you is a serious issue... Do we need only black teachers for black students, gay teachers for gay students, Asian teachers..etc..Not to mention judges for courts....that's where this logic takes us...insane!
This actually was very comforting for me. Sometimes I feel like self help videos come from a perspective of an adult with adult problems, when sometimes there are childhood problems plaguing adulthood, so you have to approach the issues as if you were a kid still. I'm off to wash the dishes I've been putting off for nearly a month now. Thank you.
This made me want to return to illustration. I'm an art student who really never did anything with their degree. I still graduated, but by that time I felt...burnt out. The passion went away at some point. I still remember that one of the best grades I ever got was from a children's illustration assignment. I really identified with the sentiment of 'making the world wholesome for kids, even if you don't feel it yourself'.
It feels like you're putting my thoughts into words, especially the sentiment. I also studied fine art for becoming a teacher, and I really love being a teacher. But my heart always beat for children's illustration and manga and comic and graphic novel and animation. University sucked the joy out of everything and I basically stopped working on anything until .... now, to be honest. I graduated three years ago and I love being a teacher really much, but I just wish that part of me hadn't died. I hope I can revive it one day. And I hope you will be able to do it, too.
I really like how in the alone story, neither is really shamed for how they feel. Cause there are people who often conflate being alone with being lonely, which I think is what Toad was doing. But he had entirely good intentions and wanted to make sure his friend didn't feel like he was alone, that they were still friends who could be there for each other. But Frog wasn't shamed for wanting to take time to himself to reflect on everything, wasn't told he was being anti-social or bad for taking time for himself. He simply just needed to communicate that with Toad and was more then content to enjoy their wet lunch together. it's just so sweet and touching.
when i was in first grade, i read ‘alone.’ it meant so much for me as a asocial autistic kid who never really connected with other people, who would get chastised when i played alone and for not including other people, who would rather pace between trees whispering to myself than talk with anyone else at recess. it taught me that wanting to be solitary was ok.
My mom read to me a frog and toad book and she would add her own spin on it by adding swear words like “these are some good motherfuckin cookies, Toad.” It was so funny to me as a kid.
You basically nailed one of the big drawbacks of cottagecore: it was never designed to be feasible as anything more than an aesthetic. It's mostly embraced by city dwellers who yearn for that quiet pastoral country life they see in stuff like this, little realising that the reality tends to be much grittier, messier and less comfortable. Country life isn't easy, especially farmlife where nowadays the options are basically to work on an industrial scale or to be really poor. This is probably why Cottagecore had that boom during the lockdowns when people could live their cosy country life fantasy of prairie dresses and flowerpressing and sourdough, but gradually faded as people realised that as a lifestyle, Cottagecore is unsustainable for most.
Media like this forms a chain back to that era which I guess Cottagecore attempts to re invoke. Either you have a so called "authentic" relation to pastoral life via your family, or you receive it as a mediated experience. It's all mediated now, you don't need to make your own flax linen from scratch etc. - and this is good!
That's kind of doing it a disservice. Cottagecore is a nostalgic escapism. Just like any fantasy, it serves a purpose. We can't have it, obviously, but that doesn't mean we can't emulate its spirit of finding joy in the little things, in quiet moments. It teaches us that we CAN be small, we can have sparse moments when we aren't being productive for our masters and just live for ourselves and the people we love. This attitude is sorely needed in a culture where "productivity" has become everything. In my country, if you aren't squeezing every drop of "usefulness" out of yourself every moment of the day, then you're considered worthless. A leech, a parasite. It's good to be told this isn't true.
cottage core as a trend seems more like an overcompensation for how hustle and bustle everyone’s life is, urban and suburban, but what they don’t realize is rural living isn’t all just kickbacks and hanging out doing nothing. i dont necessarily blame anybody for yearning for this kind of thing though. a break from interaction, a break from the concrete that surrounds us. most suburbs and urban areas don’t strike that balance of nature and civilization we as humans crave. (atleast in the us) there’s not many places to forget about your responsibilities for a bit. i live in midwest suburbia but there’s hardly any trees, any paths, anywhere for me to just take a bit of time off without sacrificing my entire way of life as is. if i even want a slice of it, i need to get in my car and drive atleast an hour. i’m rambling but i think people just crave that balance that hasn’t been given to us. of course we need to work, but we also need passions, hobbies, ways to disconnect for a little bit. ways to feel human that isn’t through a phone or a car or a workplace. i don’t know, just my take on it
@@deanmoriarty6015 That's a fair point. Nothing wrong with escapism. It's just that for a lot of people Cottagecore is less about actually escaping the grind and emulating the quiet country life, and more about just looking like you do. It's like the main problem with the Dark Academia aesthetic, which is that it seems less concerned with actually being well-read and intellectual, and more with just looking the part. Like give Goblincore some credit, at least its philosophy is about more than just looking the part.
I actually started crying with your summary of "Surprise," I've never seen that story before and it touched me so deeply. It's so hard to do acts of kindness and derive joy from them without the expectation of a reward, and it's so beautiful that such a deeply emotional concept can be expressed so simply in a single story.
I don't know if it's intentional or not, but lately you've been posting lots of videos that I would put into the "Healing for the Soul" category (this is one of them too) and I thank you for that❣
I hope you feel at least half of the overwhelming sense of comfort and joy I felt watching your breakdown of a childhood classic of mine. Your calm, soft narration and editing really brought this to the next level of video essays 😌
Frog and Toad were among my first books that I ever owned. My first grade teacher bought one for me. That woman was a blessing to the world around her.
I actually called on Frog and Toad for one of my college application essays (wish me luck!). It's an example of perfect friendship, and one where (critically) they're not perfect equals. They are, by nature, different creatures, even if they're both amphibians. Frog is taller, more pleasant in demeanor, more even-headed, by most metrics he is Toad's superior. But that doesn't stop them from being friends. This is counter to several philosophical beliefs about friendship, particularly Aristotle's, who asserted that friendship among men was difficult and friendship between men and women impossible. Frog and Toad provides a beautiful example of the counterargument, that friendship is very much possible among unequals, all it really requires is altruism.
Counterpoint: people do not have to be THE SAME in order to be philosophically equal. Frankly, your characterization of women as inherently inferior is antiquated and not at all appropriate.
@@emilysmith2965 I think you misunderstand my argument. I am in fact arguing that equality is not neccesary for friendship, which goes against Aristotle's notions. I do not believe women to be inherently inferior, though I do believe men and women to be different, even if many of the diferences are culturally based. Apples and Oranges are both fruit, and they can both be put in a fruit salad, and both be tasty, but they are nonetheless different, and there are some jobs apples do better than oranges and vice versa. Aristotle would argue there could be no friendship between apples and oranges, frogs and toads, or men and women, I disagree.
The vibes of Frog and Toad remind me of Little Bear. Cozy, slow, simple, laid back. There was a Little Bear episode about Winter Solstice that has stayed salient in my brain since I watched it as a small child.
Little Bear is one of the best children’s shows I’ve seen. The music and illustrations are so beautiful and the vibe is more appropriate for kids than modern shows are.
The ending of this video (starting around 26:50) made me choke up, specifically the way frog and toad can represent our relationships with others and with ourselves. I like that the author was writing for himself, but created something in the process that is relatable to kids and adults alike. Really inspiring 💚
This is some cozy youtube content. The music, the frog and toad, the gentle narration, I'm smoking my morning joint with coffee in my friends backyard in small town texas, slightly overcast with a good breeze. This is a vibe. I need more of these mornings in my life.
stumbling onto this without any prior knowledge to the toad and the frog and i ended up so overwhelmed w love and wholesome feelings in my heart by the end of it. thank you, im so glad you exist.
I just love the feeling that two beloved series, "Frog and Toad" and "Moomin", had found an important place on the queer community. Both authors (also lgbt) could look at today and see how their stories feel so like home to part of their community, with their cozy and nearly cottagecore feelings.
I didn't know that the authors were lgbtq but I loved and still love Frog and Toad and the Moomintrolls. They're very popular in my home country. The stories are very wholesome and cute ❤️
I always loved the idea of a “found family”, which involves familial or strong platonic bonds instead of romantic ones. Frog and Toad are a good example of this.
I remember, the first one I had (maybe the only one), and it was about Frog and Toad being unable to stop themselves from eating cookies. Later on, when I was older, I came to interpret it as a metaphor for handling addictions.
As a domestically inclined person, it’s nice to feel seen! Our culture totally overvalues travel and being on the go. I used to feel insecure about how I don’t travel for personal leisure as often as my peers, but I get a lot of satisfaction from making my space comfy and clean. I’m glad to have a reminder that that’s ok too.
So when I was younger I used to want to travel the world. Growing into my 30's I felt really sad I hadn't lived that travel lifestyle. The more I learned about the world and countries I wanted to visit the less romanticized the idea became. My sister has traveled extensively as well as other family members and with the social media I see more of the world than I had before. Basically what I'm saying is now that I know more about the world and the countries I wanted to visit...the less I actually want to travel. What no one talks about are the dangers, the unkind people you encounter, language barriers, how certain tourist spots aren't worth it and are overcrowded. There's a lot more to traveling than going around and enjoying a vacation. It's not all it's cracked up to be I have learned and now don't feel badly about not traveling the world and am wiser about which places I'd like to see and which ones are hyped up or just downright unfriendly or dangerous. Don't feel badly about it. Plan a trip you'd want to go on, save up, research and see if it's really someplace worthwhile going from others that have gone that will note the good and bad. Traveling is fun and worthwhile but it isn't the end all be all. There is something to be said about having a home space that is your own and having be a safe and comforting place for you and others. Home is underrated and exotic locales are overrated. As the saying goes home is where the heart is and in the words of Dorothy- There's no place like home.
This is such a thoughtful and lovely look at some of my favorite childhood books! -and such a calming cadence of speaking. This is one of my favorite new comfort videos (second to your analysis of Over the Garden Wall!). 😊
I usually never watch these kinds of videos but after takin’ some time to lend an ear, I learned a lot and understood more about why this storybook brought me so much interest, peace and joy all these years as well as Studio Ghibli. I would read some of the stories with my niece during bedtime and always wondered why I felt so connected to their stories despite growin’ up in the rough parts of the city. This was a very well explained and thoughtful video. Thank ye very much.
Would so love that. I grew up with Frog and Toad in the mid 70's. Actually I got a similar vibe from Hakumei To Mikochi when hubby showed it to me a few years ago.
Thank you for this beautiful video! I'm not a native English speaker and have never read the books as a kid. I really loved stories about anthropomorphic animals though and it was nice to learn these stories through your video. Also, no book is ever "too simple" for analysis or a critical literacy class, children's books especially. It always good to see such authors taken seriously.
Pleaseeeeee do more videos like this! I know you can’t tell an artist what to focus on and how to put out their content, but I literally watch this on repeat. It brings me so much comfort and genuine appreciation for literature, arts, the books, my life, love, EVERYTHING. Thank you for this video. ❤
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love how this lures 'escapists to a simpler live' into reflecting their privileges in such a nice way, without the unhelpful and unjustified shaming that usually goes along with it.
Me and my mother used to listen to rhe audiobooks while we baked, some of the best memories I have or will ever have. Frog and Toad are so special to me so it's beautiful to see that so many people can relate
I love this, I grew up reading these books. I love diving into philosophy and learning about the patterns we fall into as we grow up and become adults. Sometimes taking a step back and realizing “oh I don’t have to do this, I can try a different way or think differently” is really powerful and freeing, but it’s often difficult for us to realize we have this ability. Stellar video, and I really enjoyed your analysis.
Each night after taking care of our mother during her last days which was emotionally draining, my two sisters and I would watch one of the Frog and Toad stories on TH-cam to help our hearts heal. Thank you for your insight on the author and stories, you warmed my heart. ❤
Around the same time this video was published, I suddenly felt nostalgic for Frog and Toad, and I bought a copy of the omnibus. I read it again and a lot of childhood memories welled up. Thank you for making this video.
Frog and Toad have always resonated with me. I lived in the country for the better part (in both senses of the word better) of my life. We are to this day lower middle class and I lived at home til very late. But for about 17 years I just rode my bike or walked over to someone’s house without calling and knocked on the door, and “hanging out” could literally mean helping with some little chore or just standing around looking at the scenery. We used to walk through the woods or down the roads for hours just philosophizing and riffing on things. And if my good friend next door, a grumpy but hilarious retired marine, was going to the shop to work on someone’s car or the grocery store or somewhere in town, he might call me or just stop by and see if I wanted to go with, just to pass some time in extremely idle conversation. There’s a stereotype that country people are not communal and that just isn’t so; I can tell you that in my experience, having to move into a neighborhood in the exurbs/suburbs is far lonelier than the rural life I used to have. That a community is small and not especially busy doesn’t mean it is not bound together with love and vivacity. You could call all that nostalgia but I experienced it as an adult up until a few years ago. Being alone together with a small, but close and trusted, extended family. One day again Inshallah
'Tomorrow' is a great concept for a story (as are the others!) - we are all so used and accustomed to "oh that is a problem for future me" but recently I have tried to adopt the mindset that tomorrow's me is a friend that I should look to help because he needs/deserves it. I prepare my coffee maker the night before work, I food prep early in the day for dinner later, check off my to-do list early so I can relax in the evening, and so on. It really has helped not just my future self but also my present self because I am less distracted by games/movies/etc. and doing more. Thank you Frog and Toad and thank you QC!
I never realized Lobel was gay. It does add a certain poignancy, and also makes that quote about Hans Christian Anderson funnier somehow. ""Being alone together" is an all time classic quote for me.
I must admit that I wasn't familiar with frog and toad before and got here via TH-cam algorithm, but now I want them for my kids. Such wholesome stories. It spoke to my soul when you mentioned kids appreciating stories with substance as well. It's always bothered me that there aren't more of the deeper type of stories for children.
To me this seems like Frog is the adult to Toad's manifestation of the inner child. Constantly cultivateing him to have the best life possible together.❤
I've never read this book (I´m from Easter Europe) but I´ve seen it a lot. I´m happy that I found your video because, MAN, am I going to read this book now. There are just a lot of feelings I've been having lately that this book seems to describe. Thank you so much for introducing me to this book!
This was so lovely!!! I never read the stories as a child, but I'm sure I would've loved them. You talked about a lot of things that I'm working on/struggling with in my life (feeling petrified by how much I should be doing or learning how to appreciate all the little things in life for example). It's comforting to know, that these struggles and feelings are universal.
I’m 55, and I remember when the author came and visited our little town of 14,000 people when I was in grade school. It was the first time I’d seen a celebrity in real life, and it just made that book even more special to me.
As a homeschooling mama who gets to explore the classic, nostalgia inducing books of my childhood all over again, I really enjoyed this video. It explains why I love this series so much myself.
As a kid i was only familiar with a couple of frog and toad stories, one of them being Cookies, but learning now about The Button and The Surprise as an adult touched me deeply to tears, it's such pure love that we all can aspire to share with the ones we care about in our own lives.
My dad and I reference the cookie jar story ALL the time! There is an element of simple storytelling here that can be a good point of reference for any artist. Just look at Lobel's descriptions of Toad or the fact he "didn't know what he was doing". Thank for this! :)
Two years ago I moved to Houston to further my career. It was very lonely being so far away from my family and friends in the Midwest. On days when I felt depressed I would watch this video. I would communicate my distress to my partner by telling them I was "having a frog and toad day". I still watch this video when I need life to be a little simpler than it is.
I moved to Panama for two years when I was little and had only brought 4 books one of them being Frog and Toad Together. I read over and over and over again during those years. I hadn’t yet learned Spanish yet and they were the only English books we had for me. Frog and Toad gave me a lot of comfort. Thanks for reminding me of something I’d forgotten.
I had to eat lunch alone today and the YT algorythm suggested this. I'd never heard of Frog and Toad before, but I'm so glad I saw this! I enjoyed it so much and now I feel like reading these stories myself. I've been thinking about how my daughter will learn many valuable lessons reading these books, and will probably come up with interesting ideas and conclussions of her own. Thanks for this!!
I like to look at them as the perfect example of asexual relationships. I feel that most people just see us as being loveless and heartless individuals but finding a soulmate, wether it be romantic or platonic, is how these books make me feel. This well crafted video gave me the reminder of that feeling and I thank you for that
Agreed! It shows that platonic relationships are just as important as romantic or sexual ones. It shows you can make a family with close platonic bonds 🥰
I think that non-sexual relationships are far more important than sexual ones. Most of our relationships in life are non-sexual. Our families, our friends, the people we work with. When we’re children and when we’re very old, all relationships. There are plenty of heartless people out there with plenty of sexual relationships. Sex and emotion are not mutually exclusive. Forming a heart and soul bond with people is far more meaningful.
I can see why you see it that way ( ace too) it might be that these stories were like Bernie and Ernie - an undertone of gay, but unseen if you don't want to. Lobel was sweet but lonely in a world that was unkind.
My mom would read these to me all the time! I loved how relaxing your video was about Frog and Toad, it made me feel soothed, like I was back listening to my mom reading to me. 💕
Treating future me as a friend or even a co worker is genuinely helpful. It's like... oh heck future me is a person !! I should help make their job easier!
@@fineandnatural thank you !! Lol i like to find ways to trick my brain into caring about my well weing even tho it's hard, given we're all just in our heads all the time. Extermalizing your well being is like.. one way to go about it like,, i feel good when i take care of my flowers, but i don't think of it as doing it for Me, i'm doing it for the flowers, and vise versa. It also just has the added benefit of feeling less alone so Yay !!
I feel like i read these as a child but I really remember the meme going around where toad said “we must stop eating” as he ate another. Describes my life perfectly lol
God I remember this.. A beloved teacher of mine absolutely adored frogs and she read these stories to us in 2nd grade. She made me love reading and my life never would’ve been the literary filled one it is now without her and these amphibians.
Although this was long, it was so so resonating with me! On so many levels! I love your video I read these books to my kids. I adored them. I am now 71… they were always very Zen to me and full of joy, that polarity between frog and toad was perfect, your video articulates my inner experience perfectly… My own pool from adventure to wanting to just nest, and it was very touching to find out that Arnold was gay, I always sensed that tender love between frog and toad, and wondered, but at the end it never mattered it was just love❤
Amazing take speaking on rural living, thank you. Before the pandemic I was farming and so often volunteers would come out wanting to help and 80% of them would leave within the first two hours because ONE ant bit them or just simply sweating made them realize they would much rather be back in air conditioning.
Subscribed! Not nearly enough adults recognize the importance of truly good literature for children. This was a triumph of a video, and I look forward to viewing more of your productions.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
I really appreciate when stories like this are taken seriously and not dismissed as simple nonsense for children. They are worthwhile for all readers. Stories are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten
yowww maybe credit neil gaiman if you're gonna quote him
@@VictoriaMeira7 The quote actually came from G.K. Chesterton.
@@VictoriaMeira7 woooowww maybe just let people know without drowning them in vinegar
But dragons aren’t real
@@Frac.Razoer To paraphrase Emma Swan, "Pretty sure I've dated a few." Dragons might steal your time or the brightness in your eyes and they might have words that scorch like fire. Not everything is as it seems.
"They ate wet sandwiches without any tea" is a beautiful line. It underscores that the important thing wasn't the meal; it was that they were sharing it.
Wish I could read the way you do. :’) I would’ve skipped over this without much thought.
Not only that, I think the idea of consuming wet sandwiches always had been unpleasant, but there's a reason why they don't mind having it. As if they're basically saying that "Hey it doesn't matter the sandwich is wet now, you made it and we're going to appreciate it anyway." It's the act of acceptance towards the love by someone is possibly ruined/flawed (symbolised by the the Toad fell into the waters), and them loving the person anyway.
@@grimcowboyer I love that. ;_;
@@grimcowboyer k
k
I like how the “Alone” story ends with “they were two close friends sitting alone together”
Theres something deep there, and to me its how natural and healthy i think it is for friends to just enjoy eachothers presence, without feeling the need to always be actively engaging with eachother. You just cycle through moments of conversation and then moments of being alone with your thoughts, but with friends.
My man Arnold said, "let the gays parallel play" and I felt that
I think lobel does an amazing job showing comfortable silence. everyone is able to interact, but not everyone is comfortable with each other to not feel the need to interact. it takes work, patience, and trust to get there, all of which frog and toad have for each other. lobel is incredible
The Noddy and Big Ears books were cleaned up because of the whiff of homosexuality.
@@macclift9956 I thought it was because of all the blackface
To quote Winnie the Pooh, "Christopher Robin is my best friend to do nothing with."
Growing up very poor, I never purchased any books from the scholastic book form that was handed out. A friend gave me “Frog and Toad” bc he knew I really wanted it but never had any money. I carried this book around like it was gold. This book inspired me to draw. I love the earthy colors Thanks for sharing.
I know the whole "touch grass" thing has sorta lost meaning with overuse, but I can't put into words how important it is to just connect with nature and get out of your own head...and get away from the echo chambers, get in touch with yourself, feel small, etc.
I think what cheapens it is advertising touching grass on social media. If you don't post about it, was any grass actually touched?
@@TJ-bu9zk It's like the tree falling down in the woods. Who cares?
They do say that "touching some grass and being nature" has been shown in some studies to minimize depression. Not very much study on it but I 100% buy it. Of course ppl feel less depressed when your responsibilities have been limited to "dont get sick. Stay warm. Eat. Sleep. Have fun. Spy on a bird. Don't die." Instead of "don't die. Pay bill as soon as you wake up! 5 cups of coffee. Work. Try not to murder yoir boss. Groceries. Try getting through traffic without dying. Pick up kids. Avoid sister's phone calls. 3 piles of laundry. Stress over finances and job. Does my family love me? Make dinner. Shower. Clean room and kitchen." Modern life imo is causing unhealthy mental habits bc we are just living unnaturally for our species and planet. Of course we are all sick. I've found so much liberation in breaking from modern expectations and just living simply and slowly and appreciating the people I have while i have them and actually GOING to visit my loved ones instead of just calling them. Also reminds them they are loved enough for me to black outan entire period on my calendar just for them instead of just sending a "thinking of u" text ot call them while I'm distracted with dishes.
Fucking please retire touch grass already. It’s been a saying for like decades yet all of you just started overusing the hell out of it because you’re drone NPCs and you just copy what you see
So vitally important. Nature has very much saved my life.
I felt so bad for Toad in his bathing suit when all the animals laughed at him after they all promised not to. It was like feeling insecure and being betrayed/insulted by people that claimed to care about you 😢
Remember that book.
I played turtle in a school musical and had to shame him in song 😢
shit literally made me cry not gonna lie
@@audreyeverett3301I play toad💀
This is one of the best children’s book series. Frog And Toad Are Friends changed my life as a kid. I was super insecure as a kid because I felt like Toad; awkward, silly, selfish and lazy, while I saw my brother as Frog; selfless, competent, patient and kind. It mad me sad because I saw our relationship as one-sided. I read that book and cried because I realized that it was ok, and that’s what friends do: the frogs of the world uplift the toads of the world by kindness and a good example. I began to realize that someday I would have to be Frog to someone else, and I would also be Toad again too. Now I know that it all evens out. We are all both Frog and Toad, to different people in our lives at different times. Frog Are Toad Friends is probably my favorite book of all time.
Beautiful comment!
This was deep and insightful AF.
Wow, this comment made me cry! I also feel more like Toad, and I’ve never thought of things the way you put them. Thank you. 💕
I heard more in your comment than the video. When the subject presented is filtered through an agenda the meaning seems..lessened. Thanks for sharing your beautiful and compassionate interpretation. May we all be Frog and also Toad in our times, and know that's alright.
i like this a lot :)
This video is the adult equivalent to sitting on the carpet for storytime in kindergarten. Thank you for making this; it was strangely therapeutic. You posed interesting ideas and had me thinking the entire time.
exactly!
The description of Frog and Toad being children with an adult's freedom better puts in to perspective what exactly is going on with Spongebob, having a job and a house, but going to boating school and playing with simpler pleasures like bubbles and 'bug catching'.
As a frog, this honestly made me tear up a bit.
What a wholesome series about two best friends enjoying the simple life together!
Funny story, when I was in kindergarten we used to read their books and I was a huge fan. Well, we had a field trip to go to the local playhouse to see a Frog and Toad play. Naturally, I was super excited that I was going to see the real Frog and Toad. When the play started, two adult men walked out on stage claiming to be the titular characters. 6 year old me was so disappointed that it wasn’t an actual frog and toad that I was in a sour mood for the rest of the play. They did hand out animal crackers at the end, so it did make me feel a little better, but I never forgot that feeling of betrayal at being denied the "real" Frog and Toad.
This made me laugh, especially because I read about the play while researching and when I saw the photos I thought “ngl, I’d be disappointed if I saw this as a kid” 😂
I saw the play on a 2nd grade school trip! I was also weirded out by the 2 adult men playing frog and toad but I remember their song about the cookies slapped
They spent the costume budget on cookies 😂
That is the same reaction that JRR Tolkien allegedly had to seeing a production of Macbeth for the first time. He was so excited when “the woods” were to supposed to move against Macbeth, but it turned out just be the enemy army in disguise with branches etc. it is allegedly the reason he wrote the Ents rising against Isengard, because he wanted to see it for real. At least according the Lord of the Rings special features DVDs 😅
Oh my god, OP, that is SO stinkin' adorable. Being told you were gonna meet your actual celebrity icons live and in-person, only to have that dream ripped away. Tragic.
I had a different interpretation of The Dream, but yours is great and it makes a lot of sense in the context of the series.
My interpretation is that Toad is envisioning himself as the greatest in the world, and continually builds himself and his ego up by asking Frog if he could do whatever stunt Toad is doing. But he doesn’t know that he’s making Frog feel bad about himself (symbolized by Frog growing smaller every time he says no) until he’s disappeared. And Toad realizes being the greatest in the world means nothing if it costs him the most important person in his life.
I think the idea that the are Lobel's inner voices is actually really beautiful. Frog represents the voice of self love and acceptance, and toad is the critic, protector, and stability.
there’s something to be said about this dichotomy of “youthful childlike optimist” and “pessimistic worn down cynic” that seems present in memorable childhood media
Emplemon has a video on Spongebob Squarepants and basically states that it’s not only memorable for us but also still connects with us now because the contrast of Spongebob and Squidward as duos. Spongebob is us when we’re younger and how we see the world, Squidward is how we see ourselves and the world when we’re older. i think this can apply to Frog and Toad as well. i remember thinking as a child, “why does Toad always complain, why can’t it go his way, etc etc” but as i’ve gotten older i realized i relate to Toad more than i’d ever have wanted to admit.
@@deanmoriarty6015 It parallels voices in our minds that psychologists often say are there to protect us. A youthful view that looks at the world with wonder and excitement, and then a protective adult. I don't think the voices are diametrically opposed.
I'd say that SpongeBob and Squidward seem to be at odds with one another, mostly from the adult voices distain for the youthful wonder, but with toad and frog they are like two sides of the same coin. They are more complimentary then at odds with one another. A lot of plot comes from the misunderstanding from their view points, much like SpongeBob. I do think that the show SpongeBob makes a bit of a judgement on the Squidward voice, that he is just opposed to SpongeBob in order to be opposed. The resolution in that show can often come in a form of punishment at Squidwards expense, for example the episode where SpongeBob gets Squidward to indulge in a Krabby patty and it ends with Squidwards thighs exploding. It seems a judgement on the adult voice, while frog and toad don't judge each voice and instead note the genuine care and love behind each other's actions. I could imagine frog getting carried away with burgers and toad being opposed or nervous, but then toad saving him then trying a burger only to admit he likes the burger, but moderation is a better way to enjoy snacks.
I will check out Emplemon's video though and thanks for the reply :)
Similarly, it also feels like a balance of feminine (intuitive/nurturing/right brain) and masculine (logical/protective/left brain) energy. Everyone has these in them, albeit in different ratios.
It is a frog...and a toad. They are friends...they have stories. Damn Adults...ruin everything.
My single mom would read these to me as a baby. I'm a single dad that read them to my son as a baby. My earliest memories are of reading 'Frog and Toad are Friends' with my mom. Its a part of what kind of dad I am now. It's an important series to me and it looks like lots of others. This video makes the world seem smaller. Less unfamiliar.
The whole cottage core aesthetic is really a longing for a life where there isn’t so much chaos. I really miss living in the countryside, but I also remember a lot of bad memories during that period. But being surrounded by nature felt like I always had somewhere to go if I needed some space. In the city it’s not as easy.
I agree, and I don’t think it’s ignoring the fact that people, especially in developing countries, do not live that type of existence or disrespecting them. Guilt doesn’t help them though. Only action will. Ignoring your own mental health will not.
It’s about escape
It’s about the idealized thatched roof rose, covered English country cottage that few people are fortunate to have but it is a dream for many
Exactly, even in the suburbs you feel especially boxed in. I've got to experience the city, the country and the suburbs and if I had to choose I'd probably pick living out in the country but it's easier said than done.
It is definitely viewed with rose colored nostalgic glasses rather than the true reality. Small towns are often worse than big city living as it can be more insidious. I think most long for a nonexistent utopia though. It's like how people view the 50s and 60s as some great time period when they were anything but.
It might seem silly but about 10 minutes into this video I started crying, it wasn't quite a sad cry it was almost nostalgic of being a child and not knowing what emotion I was feeling. It was the most ok I had felt in a very long time, like I just let myself be and realised I was not alone. Thank you
the one story from frog and toad that burnt deep into memory was the cookie story. the whole will power to not finish all the cookies...
somehow, the illustrations for that particular stories, esp how they eat the cookies in every moment just really got me as a kid. always felt like I wanted to eat cookies after reading the story.
it just feels "tasty" just seeing them eat the cookies in the drawing lol.... very rare I get such an effect from drawings so this is quite an exception.
I felt the same way about the ice cream cone story, even though the ice cream is kind of grey and weird looking haha ☺️👌
I always remember the one where Toad has that weird dream about performing on stage where Frog keeps shrinking
If you listen to Arnold Lobel's reading of the cookie story, you actually hear him pausing to munch on some cookies.
@@patrickm6009 THAT'S ADORABLE
Hate if this sours the mood but I sometimes think of this story when I’m struggling with not drinking booze and I think of this story and tell myself to not drink. Crazy how getting older turned the cookies to the bottle for me. 😅
I read these to and with my son when he was a little guy. He’s nearly 47! Where did those years go!? We both have such lovely memories of the truly delightful ‘Frog and Toad’ books. Just precious. ♥️
As a little girl I remember my child mind reacting to the stories often with deep concern for the characters. I was an anxious child. I read them to my son in my early 20’s and I watched his little face accept the stories for face value. He’s a kind person. In my late 40’s I’ve read them to my grandson who regularly interjects with frank, demanding questions. He is a quintessential, passionate problem solver.
These books have been a joy in my life and I treasure them.
Also I took the cookies at face value for portion control and will power struggles with food because that story was always just too real. 😂
I think they can be anything to anyone, a gay relationship, an asexual relationship, a reminder of your brother who you spend time with and miss, a friend you loved. It's what makes these books great.
Yeah. This is the problem today. No one can appreciate the idea of UNIVERSAL appeal, that you can IDENTIFY with people that don't explicitly represent you. It's undoubtedly true that Lobel's viewpoint as a closeted gay man influenced his perspective as an author, but he didn't make these stories about "same sex love" or a commentary on LGBT issues and that's WHY they have such wide appeal and are beloved by so many. And it's exactly that reason why there's such a lack of these kinds of timeless stories today because modern writers feel like they MUST pigeonhole their characters and stories to be representative specific "identities" and "communities" rather than inherently human ideals, struggles, and values.
@@nimapocalyse9569 Well both are important, some people have a severe lack of representation and want to see their experiences in media. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.
@@CrystalRose1111 you're absolutely correct, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with it. In fact, a specific viewpoint informed by one's unique identity or experience is often the thing that motivates someone to create art or a story to begin with. Where it becomes an issue in my opinion, and what we are seeing in excess today, is when the IDENTITY ITSELF becomes the entire focus of the story, even to the point where there is a fundamental LACK of universal appeal and at the expense of unifying endeavor. In fact, there are numerous identity based stories that writers and actors have outright said "are not for you" if you don't hold the featured identity, and then turn around and cry bigotry when audiences refuse to watch. I see it as a sad devolution of what I consider to be the fundamental art form of human nature.
@@nimapocalyse9569 I mean it’s definitely a grey area because a lot of shows that try to promote inclusivity are poorly written. I’m all about inclusive shows are actually well written and entertaining to watch. The first one that comes to mind is She-Ra and the princess of power. A poor example would be that fuckin Velma series that’s coming out lol
@@nimapocalyse9569 Yeah if your entire being is based on your skin tone , political ideology or who you sleep with, that's the problem. The idea that you can't identity with or learn something from someone who looks or thinks different than you is a serious issue... Do we need only black teachers for black students, gay teachers for gay students, Asian teachers..etc..Not to mention judges for courts....that's where this logic takes us...insane!
This actually was very comforting for me. Sometimes I feel like self help videos come from a perspective of an adult with adult problems, when sometimes there are childhood problems plaguing adulthood, so you have to approach the issues as if you were a kid still. I'm off to wash the dishes I've been putting off for nearly a month now. Thank you.
This made me want to return to illustration. I'm an art student who really never did anything with their degree. I still graduated, but by that time I felt...burnt out. The passion went away at some point. I still remember that one of the best grades I ever got was from a children's illustration assignment. I really identified with the sentiment of 'making the world wholesome for kids, even if you don't feel it yourself'.
That's beautiful. I love illustration but I don't see many books or classes on it. So you recommend anything to get battery at it?
It feels like you're putting my thoughts into words, especially the sentiment. I also studied fine art for becoming a teacher, and I really love being a teacher. But my heart always beat for children's illustration and manga and comic and graphic novel and animation. University sucked the joy out of everything and I basically stopped working on anything until .... now, to be honest. I graduated three years ago and I love being a teacher really much, but I just wish that part of me hadn't died. I hope I can revive it one day. And I hope you will be able to do it, too.
11:47 "I realize I'm basically doing Kindergarten storytime with a bunch of 20-to-30 year olds"
ok, and? what of it??
keep going we love this
I would unironically watch the hell out of that 😂
Sounds like an idea for a performance/event :D
Me, 48: man, I'm really not the target demographic here 🤭
she has an audience for it :D
Add in at least one 50yo - gen x in the house! 😂
I really like how in the alone story, neither is really shamed for how they feel. Cause there are people who often conflate being alone with being lonely, which I think is what Toad was doing.
But he had entirely good intentions and wanted to make sure his friend didn't feel like he was alone, that they were still friends who could be there for each other. But Frog wasn't shamed for wanting to take time to himself to reflect on everything, wasn't told he was being anti-social or bad for taking time for himself. He simply just needed to communicate that with Toad and was more then content to enjoy their wet lunch together.
it's just so sweet and touching.
when i was in first grade, i read ‘alone.’ it meant so much for me as a asocial autistic kid who never really connected with other people, who would get chastised when i played alone and for not including other people, who would rather pace between trees whispering to myself than talk with anyone else at recess. it taught me that wanting to be solitary was ok.
My mom read to me a frog and toad book and she would add her own spin on it by adding swear words like “these are some good motherfuckin cookies, Toad.” It was so funny to me as a kid.
Ur mom is cool
thats motherfuckin awesome!!
This guys mom rules
Lmao my dad did the same shit with me with these books and berenstain bears
LMFAOOO
The "wishing the best for children without enjoying their company" is something i deeply relate to.
These books were very important to me as a child, and I highly respect these great works of art.
R.I.P. Arnold Lobel.
You basically nailed one of the big drawbacks of cottagecore: it was never designed to be feasible as anything more than an aesthetic. It's mostly embraced by city dwellers who yearn for that quiet pastoral country life they see in stuff like this, little realising that the reality tends to be much grittier, messier and less comfortable. Country life isn't easy, especially farmlife where nowadays the options are basically to work on an industrial scale or to be really poor. This is probably why Cottagecore had that boom during the lockdowns when people could live their cosy country life fantasy of prairie dresses and flowerpressing and sourdough, but gradually faded as people realised that as a lifestyle, Cottagecore is unsustainable for most.
Media like this forms a chain back to that era which I guess Cottagecore attempts to re invoke. Either you have a so called "authentic" relation to pastoral life via your family, or you receive it as a mediated experience. It's all mediated now, you don't need to make your own flax linen from scratch etc. - and this is good!
but yearning for a cottage core lifestyle is not a bad thing. learning to grow a garden and make your own food, clothes, etc is a good thing.
That's kind of doing it a disservice. Cottagecore is a nostalgic escapism. Just like any fantasy, it serves a purpose. We can't have it, obviously, but that doesn't mean we can't emulate its spirit of finding joy in the little things, in quiet moments. It teaches us that we CAN be small, we can have sparse moments when we aren't being productive for our masters and just live for ourselves and the people we love. This attitude is sorely needed in a culture where "productivity" has become everything. In my country, if you aren't squeezing every drop of "usefulness" out of yourself every moment of the day, then you're considered worthless. A leech, a parasite. It's good to be told this isn't true.
cottage core as a trend seems more like an overcompensation for how hustle and bustle everyone’s life is, urban and suburban, but what they don’t realize is rural living isn’t all just kickbacks and hanging out doing nothing.
i dont necessarily blame anybody for yearning for this kind of thing though. a break from interaction, a break from the concrete that surrounds us. most suburbs and urban areas don’t strike that balance of nature and civilization we as humans crave. (atleast in the us) there’s not many places to forget about your responsibilities for a bit. i live in midwest suburbia but there’s hardly any trees, any paths, anywhere for me to just take a bit of time off without sacrificing my entire way of life as is. if i even want a slice of it, i need to get in my car and drive atleast an hour.
i’m rambling but i think people just crave that balance that hasn’t been given to us. of course we need to work, but we also need passions, hobbies, ways to disconnect for a little bit. ways to feel human that isn’t through a phone or a car or a workplace. i don’t know, just my take on it
@@deanmoriarty6015 That's a fair point. Nothing wrong with escapism. It's just that for a lot of people Cottagecore is less about actually escaping the grind and emulating the quiet country life, and more about just looking like you do. It's like the main problem with the Dark Academia aesthetic, which is that it seems less concerned with actually being well-read and intellectual, and more with just looking the part. Like give Goblincore some credit, at least its philosophy is about more than just looking the part.
As a frog, this honestly made me tear up a bit.
What a wholesome series about two best friends enjoying the simple life together!
I actually started crying with your summary of "Surprise," I've never seen that story before and it touched me so deeply. It's so hard to do acts of kindness and derive joy from them without the expectation of a reward, and it's so beautiful that such a deeply emotional concept can be expressed so simply in a single story.
Y'er kinda cute ;)
Frog and Toad is one of my favorite children’s series. It is so comforting. I loved this deeper analysis of it!
I don't know if it's intentional or not, but lately you've been posting lots of videos that I would put into the "Healing for the Soul" category (this is one of them too) and I thank you for that❣
Thank you, I really appreciate that 😊
yes! I was trying to articulate that feeling I was feeling as I was listening, but I couldn't quite name it. You nailed it!
I hope you feel at least half of the overwhelming sense of comfort and joy I felt watching your breakdown of a childhood classic of mine. Your calm, soft narration and editing really brought this to the next level of video essays 😌
I just bought all the Frog and Toad books for our son! I loved those growing up in the 1990s. So classic and wholesome and good.
Frog and Toad were among my first books that I ever owned. My first grade teacher bought one for me. That woman was a blessing to the world around her.
I actually called on Frog and Toad for one of my college application essays (wish me luck!). It's an example of perfect friendship, and one where (critically) they're not perfect equals. They are, by nature, different creatures, even if they're both amphibians. Frog is taller, more pleasant in demeanor, more even-headed, by most metrics he is Toad's superior. But that doesn't stop them from being friends. This is counter to several philosophical beliefs about friendship, particularly Aristotle's, who asserted that friendship among men was difficult and friendship between men and women impossible. Frog and Toad provides a beautiful example of the counterargument, that friendship is very much possible among unequals, all it really requires is altruism.
Counterpoint: people do not have to be THE SAME in order to be philosophically equal. Frankly, your characterization of women as inherently inferior is antiquated and not at all appropriate.
@@emilysmith2965 I think you misunderstand my argument. I am in fact arguing that equality is not neccesary for friendship, which goes against Aristotle's notions.
I do not believe women to be inherently inferior, though I do believe men and women to be different, even if many of the diferences are culturally based.
Apples and Oranges are both fruit, and they can both be put in a fruit salad, and both be tasty, but they are nonetheless different, and there are some jobs apples do better than oranges and vice versa. Aristotle would argue there could be no friendship between apples and oranges, frogs and toads, or men and women, I disagree.
The vibes of Frog and Toad remind me of Little Bear. Cozy, slow, simple, laid back. There was a Little Bear episode about Winter Solstice that has stayed salient in my brain since I watched it as a small child.
I love the winter solstice episode too! (・∀・) It reminds me of all the feelings of a good Christmas!
Little Bear is one of the best children’s shows I’ve seen.
The music and illustrations are so beautiful and the vibe is more appropriate for kids than modern shows are.
The ending of this video (starting around 26:50) made me choke up, specifically the way frog and toad can represent our relationships with others and with ourselves. I like that the author was writing for himself, but created something in the process that is relatable to kids and adults alike. Really inspiring 💚
Time for my annual Fall binge of this video
I decided to pause this video, go for a walk in the fresh air, and finish later. This video is so comforting. Thank you! 🤍
I'm glad! Hope you enjoyed your walk 😊
@@QualityCulture could do an article on warner bros . Please
This is some cozy youtube content. The music, the frog and toad, the gentle narration, I'm smoking my morning joint with coffee in my friends backyard in small town texas, slightly overcast with a good breeze. This is a vibe.
I need more of these mornings in my life.
I loved Frog and Toad growing up, and somehow this has never left my memories all these years later!
stumbling onto this without any prior knowledge to the toad and the frog and i ended up so overwhelmed w love and wholesome feelings in my heart by the end of it. thank you, im so glad you exist.
I just love the feeling that two beloved series, "Frog and Toad" and "Moomin", had found an important place on the queer community. Both authors (also lgbt) could look at today and see how their stories feel so like home to part of their community, with their cozy and nearly cottagecore feelings.
That’s a very sweet thought :)
I didn't know that the authors were lgbtq but I loved and still love Frog and Toad and the Moomintrolls. They're very popular in my home country. The stories are very wholesome and cute ❤️
I always loved the idea of a “found family”, which involves familial or strong platonic bonds instead of romantic ones. Frog and Toad are a good example of this.
Yeah and now everybody thinks I wanna bang a dude because I want to live in a hobbit hole thanks guys
I remember, the first one I had (maybe the only one), and it was about Frog and Toad being unable to stop themselves from eating cookies. Later on, when I was older, I came to interpret it as a metaphor for handling addictions.
As a domestically inclined person, it’s nice to feel seen! Our culture totally overvalues travel and being on the go. I used to feel insecure about how I don’t travel for personal leisure as often as my peers, but I get a lot of satisfaction from making my space comfy and clean. I’m glad to have a reminder that that’s ok too.
Wow! I’m the same too! It’s so comforting to be home.
So when I was younger I used to want to travel the world. Growing into my 30's I felt really sad I hadn't lived that travel lifestyle. The more I learned about the world and countries I wanted to visit the less romanticized the idea became. My sister has traveled extensively as well as other family members and with the social media I see more of the world than I had before. Basically what I'm saying is now that I know more about the world and the countries I wanted to visit...the less I actually want to travel. What no one talks about are the dangers, the unkind people you encounter, language barriers, how certain tourist spots aren't worth it and are overcrowded. There's a lot more to traveling than going around and enjoying a vacation. It's not all it's cracked up to be I have learned and now don't feel badly about not traveling the world and am wiser about which places I'd like to see and which ones are hyped up or just downright unfriendly or dangerous. Don't feel badly about it. Plan a trip you'd want to go on, save up, research and see if it's really someplace worthwhile going from others that have gone that will note the good and bad. Traveling is fun and worthwhile but it isn't the end all be all. There is something to be said about having a home space that is your own and having be a safe and comforting place for you and others. Home is underrated and exotic locales are overrated. As the saying goes home is where the heart is and in the words of Dorothy- There's no place like home.
I never really liked traveling. I much prefer my bed.
This is such a thoughtful and lovely look at some of my favorite childhood books! -and such a calming cadence of speaking. This is one of my favorite new comfort videos (second to your analysis of Over the Garden Wall!). 😊
"The kind of person whom, when something goes wrong, goes to bed."
Lobel has a better bead on me than any therapist ever has.
Ahem, definitely not me watching from bed
I usually never watch these kinds of videos but after takin’ some time to lend an ear, I learned a lot and understood more about why this storybook brought me so much interest, peace and joy all these years as well as Studio Ghibli. I would read some of the stories with my niece during bedtime and always wondered why I felt so connected to their stories despite growin’ up in the rough parts of the city. This was a very well explained and thoughtful video. Thank ye very much.
frog and toad is like getting a warm hug from an old friend 🥲
Imagine a computer 2d animated movie about frog and toad in the water color aesthetic of the story books :)
that sounds amazing
I would love this.
Would so love that. I grew up with Frog and Toad in the mid 70's. Actually I got a similar vibe from Hakumei To Mikochi when hubby showed it to me a few years ago.
Omg yes!!!
Like Ernest and Celestine!
I loved “Owl at Home”. In particular the story about tear-water tea. 40+ years later I still remember that.
Thank you for this beautiful video! I'm not a native English speaker and have never read the books as a kid. I really loved stories about anthropomorphic animals though and it was nice to learn these stories through your video. Also, no book is ever "too simple" for analysis or a critical literacy class, children's books especially. It always good to see such authors taken seriously.
Pleaseeeeee do more videos like this! I know you can’t tell an artist what to focus on and how to put out their content, but I literally watch this on repeat. It brings me so much comfort and genuine appreciation for literature, arts, the books, my life, love, EVERYTHING. Thank you for this video. ❤
love how this lures 'escapists to a simpler live' into reflecting their privileges in such a nice way, without the unhelpful and unjustified shaming that usually goes along with it.
Me and my mother used to listen to rhe audiobooks while we baked, some of the best memories I have or will ever have. Frog and Toad are so special to me so it's beautiful to see that so many people can relate
I love this, I grew up reading these books. I love diving into philosophy and learning about the patterns we fall into as we grow up and become adults. Sometimes taking a step back and realizing “oh I don’t have to do this, I can try a different way or think differently” is really powerful and freeing, but it’s often difficult for us to realize we have this ability. Stellar video, and I really enjoyed your analysis.
Each night after taking care of our mother during her last days which was emotionally draining, my two sisters and I would watch one of the Frog and Toad stories on TH-cam to help our hearts heal. Thank you for your insight on the author and stories, you warmed my heart. ❤
I remember reading these in like 2nd and 3rd grade. That's 11 years ago. Cool to hear it's still being shown to some students
Around the same time this video was published, I suddenly felt nostalgic for Frog and Toad, and I bought a copy of the omnibus. I read it again and a lot of childhood memories welled up. Thank you for making this video.
Frog and Toad have always resonated with me. I lived in the country for the better part (in both senses of the word better) of my life. We are to this day lower middle class and I lived at home til very late. But for about 17 years I just rode my bike or walked over to someone’s house without calling and knocked on the door, and “hanging out” could literally mean helping with some little chore or just standing around looking at the scenery. We used to walk through the woods or down the roads for hours just philosophizing and riffing on things. And if my good friend next door, a grumpy but hilarious retired marine, was going to the shop to work on someone’s car or the grocery store or somewhere in town, he might call me or just stop by and see if I wanted to go with, just to pass some time in extremely idle conversation. There’s a stereotype that country people are not communal and that just isn’t so; I can tell you that in my experience, having to move into a neighborhood in the exurbs/suburbs is far lonelier than the rural life I used to have. That a community is small and not especially busy doesn’t mean it is not bound together with love and vivacity. You could call all that nostalgia but I experienced it as an adult up until a few years ago. Being alone together with a small, but close and trusted, extended family. One day again Inshallah
Same....i actually knew more people when me and my family used to live in a small village, now i barely know my neighbors
'Tomorrow' is a great concept for a story (as are the others!) - we are all so used and accustomed to "oh that is a problem for future me" but recently I have tried to adopt the mindset that tomorrow's me is a friend that I should look to help because he needs/deserves it. I prepare my coffee maker the night before work, I food prep early in the day for dinner later, check off my to-do list early so I can relax in the evening, and so on. It really has helped not just my future self but also my present self because I am less distracted by games/movies/etc. and doing more. Thank you Frog and Toad and thank you QC!
I never realized Lobel was gay. It does add a certain poignancy, and also makes that quote about Hans Christian Anderson funnier somehow. ""Being alone together" is an all time classic quote for me.
Lovely & thoughtful analysis, Quality Culture 🕊 I also read these ‘vintage’ books as a child and now I want to revisit them 🐸
this video broke my heart in a way that will only make it stronger
I've only read the books but loved them! I read them when I was younger... no not as a kid, like last year... close enough!
I must admit that I wasn't familiar with frog and toad before and got here via TH-cam algorithm, but now I want them for my kids. Such wholesome stories. It spoke to my soul when you mentioned kids appreciating stories with substance as well. It's always bothered me that there aren't more of the deeper type of stories for children.
To me this seems like Frog is the adult to Toad's manifestation of the inner child. Constantly cultivateing him to have the best life possible together.❤
Never thought someone could so articulately describe the indescribable feeling you get from Frog and Toad... but here we are
I loved frog & toad when i was a kid!! 💚💚I didn’t realize they had themes that adults relate to more than kids-now i want to go read them again!
i used to read these books all the time at my local library. i didn’t expect to ever see a video essay on them but this is so pure
I've never read this book (I´m from Easter Europe) but I´ve seen it a lot. I´m happy that I found your video because, MAN, am I going to read this book now. There are just a lot of feelings I've been having lately that this book seems to describe. Thank you so much for introducing me to this book!
This was so lovely!!! I never read the stories as a child, but I'm sure I would've loved them. You talked about a lot of things that I'm working on/struggling with in my life (feeling petrified by how much I should be doing or learning how to appreciate all the little things in life for example). It's comforting to know, that these struggles and feelings are universal.
I’m 55, and I remember when the author came and visited our little town of 14,000 people when I was in grade school. It was the first time I’d seen a celebrity in real life, and it just made that book even more special to me.
As a homeschooling mama who gets to explore the classic, nostalgia inducing books of my childhood all over again, I really enjoyed this video. It explains why I love this series so much myself.
As a kid i was only familiar with a couple of frog and toad stories, one of them being Cookies, but learning now about The Button and The Surprise as an adult touched me deeply to tears, it's such pure love that we all can aspire to share with the ones we care about in our own lives.
My dad and I reference the cookie jar story ALL the time! There is an element of simple storytelling here that can be a good point of reference for any artist. Just look at Lobel's descriptions of Toad or the fact he "didn't know what he was doing".
Thank for this! :)
My family tend to lean towards the Tomorrow story. Habits of procrastination but willing to get stuff done so we can procrastinate Tomorrow
Two years ago I moved to Houston to further my career. It was very lonely being so far away from my family and friends in the Midwest. On days when I felt depressed I would watch this video. I would communicate my distress to my partner by telling them I was "having a frog and toad day". I still watch this video when I need life to be a little simpler than it is.
I moved to Panama for two years when I was little and had only brought 4 books one of them being Frog and Toad Together. I read over and over and over again during those years. I hadn’t yet learned Spanish yet and they were the only English books we had for me. Frog and Toad gave me a lot of comfort. Thanks for reminding me of something I’d forgotten.
I had to eat lunch alone today and the YT algorythm suggested this. I'd never heard of Frog and Toad before, but I'm so glad I saw this! I enjoyed it so much and now I feel like reading these stories myself. I've been thinking about how my daughter will learn many valuable lessons reading these books, and will probably come up with interesting ideas and conclussions of her own. Thanks for this!!
Frog and Toad hopped so that CottageCore lesbians could run
Ok but ain’t NOBODY doing it like the lads Frog and Toad
This is it. The best sentence.
🤣
Beautifully said.
I have a short that I consider cottage cored. And old frog living
Seeing your video I needed to look up "Shivers" inmediatly and 20 years it gave me literal shivers down my spine
I didn’t grow up with this book series, so this was a delightful introduction to Frog and Toad. Thanks for sharing this. And happy autumn!
I’ve bought this books series as a gift for every baby shower I’ve ever attended. Frog & Toad are a rad childhood vibe.
I like to look at them as the perfect example of asexual relationships. I feel that most people just see us as being loveless and heartless individuals but finding a soulmate, wether it be romantic or platonic, is how these books make me feel. This well crafted video gave me the reminder of that feeling and I thank you for that
Agreed! It shows that platonic relationships are just as important as romantic or sexual ones. It shows you can make a family with close platonic bonds 🥰
I think that non-sexual relationships are far more important than sexual ones. Most of our relationships in life are non-sexual. Our families, our friends, the people we work with. When we’re children and when we’re very old, all relationships.
There are plenty of heartless people out there with plenty of sexual relationships. Sex and emotion are not mutually exclusive.
Forming a heart and soul bond with people is far more meaningful.
I can see why you see it that way ( ace too) it might be that these stories were like Bernie and Ernie - an undertone of gay, but unseen if you don't want to. Lobel was sweet but lonely in a world that was unkind.
My mom used to read these to me as a kid seeing this definitely brought back some memories
My mom would read these to me all the time! I loved how relaxing your video was about Frog and Toad, it made me feel soothed, like I was back listening to my mom reading to me. 💕
How sweet, thank you 🥺❤️
@@QualityCulture 💖💖
As a Children's Librarian I love this, thanks for making it!
My favourite channel talking about my favourite childhood books 🥰🍂🐸
I never heard of frog and toad but you reading them and talking about them was heartwarming. Def will show them to my niece
Treating future me as a friend or even a co worker is genuinely helpful. It's like... oh heck future me is a person !! I should help make their job easier!
That's an awesome philosophy/advice
@@fineandnatural thank you !! Lol i like to find ways to trick my brain into caring about my well weing even tho it's hard, given we're all just in our heads all the time.
Extermalizing your well being is like.. one way to go about it like,, i feel good when i take care of my flowers, but i don't think of it as doing it for Me, i'm doing it for the flowers, and vise versa.
It also just has the added benefit of feeling less alone so Yay !!
I love this. I really should treat myself better.
That little story about willpower and cookies still stuck to me to this day. Loved these books growing up
I feel like i read these as a child but I really remember the meme going around where toad said “we must stop eating” as he ate another.
Describes my life perfectly lol
Not just 20 and 30 year olds. 66 here. Never heard of frog and toad. This was fascinating! Thank you.
God I remember this.. A beloved teacher of mine absolutely adored frogs and she read these stories to us in 2nd grade. She made me love reading and my life never would’ve been the literary filled one it is now without her and these amphibians.
Hi! My 71 year old self loved your video. It reminded me to buy them for my grandchildren. Thank you!
Although this was long, it was so so resonating with me! On so many levels! I love your video
I read these books to my kids. I adored them. I am now 71… they were always very Zen to me and full of joy, that polarity between frog and toad was perfect, your video articulates my inner experience perfectly… My own pool from adventure to wanting to just nest, and it was very touching to find out that Arnold was gay, I always sensed that tender love between frog and toad, and wondered, but at the end it never mattered it was just love❤
Amazing take speaking on rural living, thank you. Before the pandemic I was farming and so often volunteers would come out wanting to help and 80% of them would leave within the first two hours because ONE ant bit them or just simply sweating made them realize they would much rather be back in air conditioning.
Subscribed! Not nearly enough adults recognize the importance of truly good literature for children. This was a triumph of a video, and I look forward to viewing more of your productions.