This slender sequel to Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond
is another Zen-inspired entrepreneurial parable, at once trite and profound. Gold, former COO of the Republic of Tea, does not belabor the business aspect of his tale, which can be read as an insightful guide to internal growth and transformation. In this book, Ping visits a pond whose inhabitants have never ventured outside their small habitat. Two young frogs, Daikon and Hodo, daring to aspire further, ask Ping to take them to the ocean, which represents enlightenment. The book becomes a quest, with plenty of opportunity for Ping to instruct the youngsters on “the Way” (e.g., “The Way is the path of strength.... Always possess the courage to continue the journey, even if you are scared to pieces”). The frogs navigate a boulder in their path, hop up 100-foot shoots of bamboo and trudge through an eerie Slither Swamp. Finally, from the heights of a mountain, they view both dawn and the ocean. While the first book, where the young Ping is instructed by an Owl, may have been more spontaneous and compelling, this sequel is charming and effectively communicates its message. (Jan.)
