Arnold Lobel’s beloved Frog and Toad books leap off the page and onto the screen with the delightful new AppleTV+ animated series, premiering this Friday April 28th. Executive Producer and Showrunner Rob Hoegee guides me through what went into making the show — from adapting the look of the books to collaborating with two other dynamic duos, Lobel’s children and stars Nat Faxon and Kevin Michael Richardson. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: I love these books. I can still picture myself reading them in elementary school. Do you have an earliest memory of these “Frog and Toad” books?
Rob Hoegee: I do. They came out in 1970, so it’s been over 50 years. If you think about it, I can’t even begin to imagine how many millions of children learned to read with these books. I would not be surprised if it’s hundreds of millions of kids around the world. It’s incredible.