The CJM Blog

Our current exhibition, Frog and Toad and the World of Arnold Lobel inspired us to visit The California Academy of Sciences to observe real-life frogs and toads. We were fortunate to sit down and chat with David Blackburn, Assistant Curator of Herpetology, about the differences between the two, the anatomical accuracy of Lobel’s art, and address some recent rumors about Cal Academy's most famous resident, Claude the white alligator. Have you read the Frog and Toad books? I have read Frog and Toad , yes. I have a son who is 5 and a son who is 2. What are the differences between frogs and toads? 
Technically true toads are just one family of all frogs. Toads are a type of frog but not really vice versa. The archetype of a toad is a grumpy warty thing that is on the ground but there are toads that breed only in tree holes. There are more than 6,200 frogs including toads, so for reference that's more frogs than [there are kinds of] mammals. There are probably slight...

When you have an exhibition on a beloved children's book characters like Frog and Toad , an online search reveals plenty of nostalgic tributes. But this image caught our eye and led us to Lauren Gregg, an illustrator based in Athens, Georgia. We asked her what inspired this adorable update to the classic duo. Lauren Gregg, Frog & Toad , 5 in. x 7 in., cel vinyl on illustration board. Why did you choose to commemorate Frog and Toad with this illustration? This illustration was actually a painting for my friend and fellow illustrator Meg Hunt! She curated an art show for her wedding (best idea ever), and had over 50 illustrators make tiny paintings about love for her and her husband. At the time I was revisiting books from my childhood, and when I got to this part in Frog and Toad Are Friends , I started crying like a little baby: “I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a frog. And I fe...

Arnold Lobel, Title page from Days with Frog and Toad , 1979. Graphite, ink, and wash on paper, 19 15/16 x 15 15/16 in. (matted). Courtesy of The Estate of Arnold Lobel. Copyright © The Estate of Arnold Lobel. Frog and Toad and the World of Arnold Lobel is a new exhibition at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) . Although frogs play an important role in the epic biblical Exodus story, Lobel’s playful illustrations do not immediately conjure Pharoahs, plagues, and ancient Egypt. Rather, these are stories about the friendship between two amphibians. My title at The CJM is Jewish Community Liaison. While much of my work is in the “liason” area, fostering relationships with local organizations, I also like to highlight the Jewish part, which had me wondering what insights about friendship might we find in Jewish texts? When I first asked myself this question, I immediately thought of, “Aseh lecha rav, v’kaneh l’cha haver,” from Pirke Avot 1:6 translated approxima...