The Best Summer Ever

Best Summer Ever

Written by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Josée Masse

For the LunchBunchers
—Eve

To my little star, Alice.
—
Josée

Frog and Little Brown Bat

Frog Takes a Vacation

Frog and Starman

Sometimes at night Little Brown Bat swooped down to visit Frog.

Sometimes they talked about how different they were.

It was a game they liked to play.

“I swim and you do not,” Frog said, not unkindly.

“I fly and you do not,” Little Brown Bat said.

Frog nodded. “But I am a good leaper. Sometimes leaping feels like flying.”

“I can understand that,” Little Brown Bat said. “But I think it is prettier way up high in the night sky.”

Frog sighed. “It may be. I cannot have everything.”

“Let's go on with the game,” Little Brown Bat said. “I am furry and you are not.” She stroked her furry body with her leathery wings. “But I like your skin. It is so shiny. And it is such a pretty color.”

“Thank you,” Frog said. “I like your ears. I do not have ears.”

“But you can hear,” Little Brown Bat said.

“Not as well as you,” Frog said. “But I do have excellent eyes. See how bulgy they are? I can see this way and that way without turning my head.”

“That is such a good thing. My eyes are not great. But I have a gift. I can hear echoes that tell me where I am. So I do not bump into trees.”

“Or stars,” Frog suggested.

They thought for awhile.

“We both love bugs. I catch them as I fly,” Little Brown Bat said.

“I lie on my lily pad. I catch them on my long sticky tongue.” Frog flicked out his tongue to show her.

“That is a very handsome tongue,” Little Brown Bat said.

They stayed, talking in the soft, warm dark.

Little Brown Bat swung by her legs from the oak tree branch. Frog sat on the stone by his pond.

“Some people say I am ugly,” Little Brown Bat said.

Frog shook his head. “You are not. You are dark and lovely. Some also say I am ugly. But once a girl wanted to kiss me.”

“I am not surprised,” Little Brown Bat said. “You have a very nice face.”