Like the cricket who fiddled and sang the summer away with never a thought for the winter, Frederick dreamed the lazy summer away while the rest of the chatty field mice gathered corn and nuts.

But, unlike the cricket who was sent away to starve by the ant, Frederick saves his friends from the long, cold winter, and proves beyond any doubt that he had indeed done his share.

"Each book by Leo Lionni is a surprise" (Saturday Review), and FREDERICK, with its fresh, color-filled pages, is no exception.

From the dust jacket