WHO WE ARE
Bobby B. Frog is a virtual visitor to Little Libraries and Street Libraries around the world. He has appeared in over 180 illustrations documenting his travels. I am Mrs. K, his illustrator.
THE TOUR BEGINS
As a preschool teacher in Vienna, Virginia, USA; I enjoy creating art with young children. I often share my frog character with my students. When the preschool closed in the spring due to the global pandemic, I needed a new place to share my creative energies. We have six Little Libraries within “hopping” distance of my home. I began to write and illustrate about a frog on a library tour. I began to look at photographs of Little Libraries around the world on Instagram. Bobby B. Frog came “alive” and decided to hop on out in August 2020, after Mrs. K learned to create digital art on an iPad. We sent the word out on Instagram and Facebook asking for invitations to visit book exchanges and pantries. Anyone who wanted to request a visit from “the frog” needed to send an email with photos and engage with his account on social media.
WORLDWIDE
Together Bobby and I have traveled throughout the US and nine other countries. Our travels have included: Italy, Netherlands, Poland, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. We were featured in a community newsletter in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Bobby tried out his baking skills at a pizzeria in Poland while visiting the restaurant owner’s book exchange. This tour has been more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. We have been welcomed into a philanthropic community of people who share a love of reading. We always have a backlog of invitations.
FREE ILLUSTRATIONS
In the spirit of “always for free, never for sale” I gift the artwork I have created to the library steward. My artwork has been used to make signs, bookmarks, stickers, and other advertising. One steward of a pantry is working hard to destigmatize needing food. Families were making after dark food runs to her pantry. The pantry was painted with a colorful design and she used my artwork to make cute magnets to advertise.
VIRTUAL
Many people travel around and document “book bombing” on social media. Our tour is the only one I am aware of that is virtual and digitally illustrated. This sometimes confuses people and they think the frog and I are coming to visit in-person. We enjoy making people laugh and often virtually “kidnap” pets and sometimes even kids. Cats, dogs, a bunny and even a hedgehog often travel with Bobby and appear in his worldwide travels. Evan, of Evan’s Garden Library & Pantry (New South Wales, Australia) has appeared in illustrations of libraries in Florida (USA), Ireland, and Brazil. I enjoy using artistic license and the magic of digital illustration to come up with surprises.
WHAT NEXT?
Bobby’s Little Library World Tour is currently travelling in the US, we are visiting the 30th in a fifty-state tour. Our travels will continue worldwide. We are currently working with the local Historical Society to celebrate reading with “Little Libraries of Vienna, Virginia”, in April.
My ultimate goal is to use my art to make money for charity or work for a non-profit organization. When it is once again safer to travel you may see Mrs. K on the road in-person. I would like to visit some of the libraries I’ve come to love.
