Working Frog

Winston, a ``seven-inch, one-pound Bullfrog,'' tells his professional success story--he's a one-time common reptile who is mysteriously plucked from the pond and taken under cover of night to the Bronx Zoo. In the barren holding tank he suffers temporary depression over his lifestyle transition but perks upon hearing that he is to replace a ``stressed out'' bullfrog in a cushy, homelike display tank. Parker's frog bucks the current tide of human empathy for animals and their environments--the precocious Winston is honored to serve as display for human faces pressed against his tiny glass box. A remote, passive first-person voice unfortunately accentuates Parker's somewhat listless prose. Yet for youngsters interested in the quiet scenes behind the people noise at the reptile house this book offers some rewards. Also, adults can energize this potentially entertaining story simply by talking children through Parker's highly descriptive watercolor and ink illustrations. Ages 5-up. (Apr . )