The Frog
In 2025, ALBUS published my first children’s book. The Frog. Beautifully illustrated by Marianna Sztyma, it tells the story of a child who learns not only to cope with grief after the loss of her grandmother, but to gently befriend it.
AWARDS
The Polish section of IBBY honored The Frog as its 2025 Book of the Year in the Picture Book category.
Wroclaw’s Good Books Fairs (Wrocławskie Targi Dobrych Książek) nominated The Frog for the Dobre Strony Editorial Award — for its “lyrically moving portrayal of a difficult subject; illustrations that captivate with their painterly quality; a harmonious rhythm between image and text; and a compelling, contrasting balance between elaborate compositions and visual pauses.”
The Frog has been included in the list of the 10 Most Beautiful Books of 2025 by Culture.pl.
Reżyseria i animacja: Wojtek Wawszczyk
Głos: Karolina Gruszka
Produkcja: studio animacji Human Film / PFX
REVIEWS
NOWE KSIĄŻKI
The author has employed a brilliantly conceived symbol — ingenious in its simplicity (…) It is a great art to speak simply about matters considered difficult. Without infantilizing, oversimplifying, or lapsing into sentimentality, but with love, subtlety, and a touch of humor. In their beautiful little book for children, Anja Franczak and Marianna Sztyma have achieved a truly masterful effect. The reader can fall in love with this frog and simply embrace it in their own way — even as a fully grown adult. Hanna Diduszko
RYNEK KSIĄŻKI
Anja Franczak, Poland’s first grief counsellor and co-founder of the Instytut Dobrej Śmierci, has found the key to the challenging subject of death and mourning. She has created a book that poetically and tenderly tells the story of experiencing loss. Ewa Tenderenda-Ożóg
W NASZEJ BAJCE
There are books that gently — almost tenderly — touch the most difficult emotions: those we often cannot name, and even less easily express. The Frog. A Little Story About Grief by Anja Franczak, with illustrations by Marianna Sztyma, is precisely such a book. Subtle yet deeply moving, it reminds us that in a world full of chaos and change, loss can mark not only the beginning of pain but also the start of a new way of seeing life. Wydawnictwo Albus has prepared a true gem! (…)
This is a story for anyone who has ever lost someone close — but perhaps also a part of themselves, their dreams, or their vision of the world. Reading this book, one can feel understood, and at the same time discover within themselves the strength to move forward.
This story will help you open your hearts to difficult emotions. It is not just a book — it is a warm, soothing touch that says: “You are not alone. What you feel matters.” I wholeheartedly recommend it! A wonderful, deeply touching story that will help children through difficult moments in life.
It will be an invaluable and supportive read not only for the youngest readers, but also for caregivers, educators, psychologists, and psychotherapists.
TOSI MAMA
I have already read books that addressed the death of a loved one and the experience of mourning their passing. Each one was wise, important, and necessary. But none has moved me as deeply as The Frog. A Little Story About Grief. A small-format book, yet filled with immense power. (…) Marianna Sztyma has once again proven that she is one of the most exceptional illustrators of books for young readers. Here, together with Anja Franczak, she has created one of the most important books for children — not only published this year, but ever. This is one of those books you simply must have on your shelf.
INSTAGRAM REVIEWS
“I couldn’t recommend it more!”
@Bliskieczytanie
This is one of the most beautiful stories about death I have ever read. It captures the heart with the gentleness in which grief is clothed. It makes it appear not as something frightening, but as something natural that can be made familiar. Enormous applause for the sensitivity and understanding with which the author approached this subject. This book can become a unique form of support that you can offer your children when the need arises.
@Mama_czyta_tuwima
The Frog. A Little Story About Grief is a moving and gentle story that helps children understand the difficult subject of grief. The author chooses her words with great sensitivity, presenting the story of a young heroine facing the loss of her beloved grandmother. The illustrations, kept in muted tones, highly distinctive and expressive, emphasize the emotional depth of the story.
In a simple yet touching way, the book explains to children that sadness, anger, and longing are natural feelings. At the same time, it offers hope, teaching how to preserve memories of those we loved. It is an excellent read for both children and parents seeking support in conversations about loss. Full of empathy, it helps make difficult emotions more approachable and understand what we go through while grieving.
@Polecamydladzieci
The most beautiful, most wonderful, and most tender book about grief I have ever read. So simple, yet profoundly metaphorical and reaching into the deepest corners of the heart. Perfect support in difficult times and a true bandage for a wounded soul. It will wrap around you, soothe you, and explain. It will help you get through the time of mourning and piece together a shattered heart. The text and illustrations create a magnificent, perfect whole that harmonizes and complements each other flawlessly. I am deeply impressed. I am moved every time I read this book. I grow tender looking at the illustrations and feel immense joy that I was able to discover such a brilliant work. A wonderful and one-of-a-kind story about grief — for children and for adults alike.
@Male_ksiazkowe_mole
I value this book for everything — for every word and for the storm in a teacup. I recommend it with all my heart, because after all, everyone sometimes takes their frog out for a walk.
@Mamabasiczyta
Beautifully illustrated, written in simple language yet full of valuable messages — a book about what is difficult ❤️ The Frog is a book that genuinely supports.
@Wspieralnik
In short sentences, the author contains entire universes of emotion — it is a story for the youngest readers, but I think adults very much need to read it too. (…) The Frog is one of those books that can truly have a real impact on your life.
@Bardziejlubieksiazki
The Frog. A Little Story About Grief is a moving children’s book recently published by Wydawnictwo Albus. (…) This beautifully produced book addresses the extremely important subject of grief, helping children navigate this difficult period in life. We recommend reading it. 💔
@Ksiazkizabawy
There are books that gently wrap around the reader, helping them come to terms with what is difficult. The Frog. A Little Story About Grief by Anja Franczak is one of those stories. It is filled with tenderness, attentiveness, and understanding toward a child’s experience of loss.
@Ksiazki_aktywneczytanie
The Frog. A Little Story About Grief is a metaphorical story about coping with loss that touches the most sensitive strings of the heart. Extremely subtle in form, remarkably wise, attentive, and gentle. It is a book that knows how to take care of its reader — that supports and helps one understand the process of grief. Painted in colors tinged with sadness, and yet — despite everything — it carries a powerful charge of hope. Hope that someday it will be easier again. Different, but beautiful once more.
Although strong emotions surge within its modest length, simple text, and blue-gray-brown illustrations, once the final words fade and the cover is closed, what remains with the reader is calm and lightness. There is something magical, fleeting, and beautiful in it. (…)
Exceptional. Important and deeply needed. Remember it when a frog knocks on your door as well.
@poczytajmy_razem
Can a book about grief be beautiful? Although the subject is profoundly painful, the answer is YES. The Frog. A Little Story About Grief describes the meaning of mourning to children in a wonderful, metaphorical, and yet very simple way. (…)
This beautiful, atmospheric book shows us that grief is not something bad. Everyone experiences it differently — grief simply is, and it helps us. It also opens our eyes to the fact that it is not worth suppressing the difficult emotions we experience during this time.
@Ladne_kwiatki_czytaja
The Frog is more than a book about loss, farewell, memories, and mourning — it is also a keen observation of our emotions and behaviors, shown through a child’s eyes. (…)
I am grateful to the author and the publisher for this edition, which helped me organize my thoughts after losing my grandmother. I cried until the last page, but I feel that I finally managed to release my frog and let it freely depart into the unknown…
@Mojeczytadlo
A remarkable book about loss and grief for children has recently been published. If a child in your family is grieving someone close, we know no more beautiful story to help them understand what is happening inside them because of that loss.
The Frog is moving and deeply touching. At times it is hard to read the next sentence aloud. It moves you. It holds wisdom and sensitivity to the emotional shades that accompany grief. It shows longing, sadness, and the slow return of the world to balance — a new balance.
@centrum_cresco
“It is worth having on your home bookshelf — it is wise, important, and beautiful. I also hope it reaches psychologists, therapists, sociotherapists, teachers, and educators. It is a dream resource to support their work.”
@Ptasie.radio