Synopsis
Firebelly, a small red-bellied frog missing two feet and living
at a pet store, is quiet, contemplative, and very
observant. He spends his time under a waterfall talking to a
wise Old Frog
who tells him about adventures in the wild and what it means to be chosen as a pet.
One day, he is selected by ten-year-old Caroline. Although initially
fearful, Firebelly is soon overjoyed to have his own grand and spacious container.
When Caroline's father discovers his missing feet, he wants to exchange him for
another frog, but Caroline resists—who else would care for such a frog.
When Firebelly is temporarily moved in a rental car, the lid of his container comes
off. Unexpectedly, he now has a choice between showing himself and returning
to life as a pet, or jumping from the car and living an adventurous life in the
wild. Immobilized by indecision, he does neither.
The car is rented by a man with a troubled teenage daughter, Claire,
who steals the car and searches for something meaningful in her life. Although Firebelly
had only thought of people as potential pet owners, he suddenly realizes that only
he, a small and insignificant frog, can help this large and unknowable person. Even
though he may be tossed out the window, his next jump will be
the action that creates his future. With
one great leap of faith, he confronts the unknown driver. At that moment, Claire
understands that only she can care for this spectacular and unexpected being.
The arc of this poetic story introduces readers to some of the great ideas in philosophy,
especially those of the existential writers, Sartre, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, and
Dostoyevsky.
For information on the back story see Writing Firebelly.
Excerpt from Firebelly
Chapter 1
