Okay. This book makes me laugh so much.

First, it’s a really clever look at accepting and embracing the parts of ourselves that we might find lumpy, bumpy, or filled with flies. But also our family just happens to own this odd little puppet (pictured above), which my children named Green Cheetah.

Green Cheetah is a troubled puppet. He looks like a frog, hops like a frog, but always wants to play at gazelle hunting.

Thank goodness Dev Petty and Mike Boldt’s book arrived to help with this crisis!

It’s not that we want to change Green Cheetah. No, sir. We love him just the way he is, googly eyes and all. He’s still welcome on gazelle hunts, but deep down he’s a frog. And we want him to love the frog in himself, too. After several reads of this delightful book, I think we’re making progress.

Now for a very froggy craft…

What you’ll need:

• an index card (any rectangle size will work)
• markers (optional)

I WANT TO BE A FROG (jumping frog origami) 

I colored my card two different colors of green to make it easier to see, but coloring the cards is totally optional. You could also get green index cards if that makes life easier. Here’s how to fold it.

1. Top triangle fold down to the left.

2. Top triangle fold to the right.

3. The top will now be divided into four parts. Pinch the two side sections inward and squash fold down.

4. Bring the top right and left pleats up at a 45 degree angle.

(It’ll look like this without my fingers in the way.)

5. Fold the bottom sides inward until they meet in the middle.

6. From Line A fold upwards.

Like so:

Step 7. Bend the top fold back about halfway to form the frog’s legs.

Fold it all the way and press hard…

8. Turn him over and you have a frog.

By the way, if you bow out the folds in step 4 above…

…and reverse the fold in Step 6 (bend Line A backwards)…

…you get a rabbit instead of a frog.