As the weather turns warmer here in our quiet hamlet in Nara and my intrepid pet frog Jack is growing larger and eating more and more crickets each day (which go for about 20 for eight bucks at the local DIY store), and even hopping so powerfully he threatens to vault over the top of his terrarium, and my wife continues to apply near-daily pressure on me to free the adorable amphibean in the neighborhood pond, it’s looking more and more like an inevitable occurance. Releasing him into the wild will be a tearjerky moment for me and my 10-year-old comparable to when the Adamsons released Elsa the lion into the wild.
Jack
Do you think he’ll miss me?
***
“Eidswick (The Language of Bears, 2017) portrays his protagonist with great depth; Strait is a stoical combination of grit and emotional vulnerability. In addition, the author artfully raises provocative questions about the fraught relationship between race and institutional power. Finally, there’s plenty of gripping action here, cinematically depicted.”
– Kirkus Reviews
Past the Isle of Dogs 
Lions, frogs, and bears…oh, my…
LikeLiked by 1 person
He is beautiful! It will be/was an emotionally fraught thing to let him go, but best for his welfare. Thanks for reminding sing me of Born Free and the Adamsons. They were a big part of my childhood with their books and TV specials looming large in my imagination. Your frog story also brings to mind Ring of Bright Water. Thinking of that and Born Free can still bring a tear to my eyes.
LikeLiked by 1 person