The Voyage of the Frog

by Gary Paulsen

(this book has some swearing and contains the phrases "swimming nude" and "making love")

Grades 8-12; Genre - Fiction; GRL S; AR pts: 5.0

David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water. But in fact, David wasn't alone at all. He'd had the FROG as a partner from the beginning.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

1. Describe the main character. His name is David, his uncle has just died of cancer, 14 years old, only child in his family, close to his uncle, who taught him to sail p.1
2. Who gave David the sailing boat the Frog and why didn’t he want it? His uncle; he’d rather have his uncle p.2
3. What did David’s uncle’s request of him? To have David take his ashes in the Frog so far out in the ocean he couldn’t see land, then spread them in the water p.7

Chapter 2

1. Why was David so eager to know all about the Frog? The memory of Owen his uncle p.12
2. What was in the small box David brought with him onto the boat? His uncle’s ashes p.13
3. Why did David decide to sail that night instead of the next morning? He thought they were perfect sailing conditions; it was his uncle’s favorite time to sail p.15

Chapter 3

1. What simile does the author use to describe the swells of water on page 19? A hand cradling and holding the Frog p.19
2. How long did David need to travel to meet his uncle’s wishes? All night long p.20
3. What beautiful path was David going to follow into the night? The golden light of the sun reflecting on the sea as it went down p.21

Chapter 4

1. What did Owen want to spend his time doing when he was alive? Studying p.24
2. What created the lights David saw in the water? small marine animals p.26
3. What word did the author use to describe David’s feelings of being out of sight of land on page 29?  What does it mean in this context? Sober; marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor p.29

Chapter 5

1. Why was David angry at the small box that held the ashes? It could hold his uncle p.33
2. How did the thread hooked on the cabin save David’s life? Because of the thread he turned and saw the storm barreling in on him p.34
3. What hit David in the head during the storm? the boom p.37

Chapter 6

1. When David woke up what did he have to do to stop the boat from sinking? Close the hatch p.41
2. Why did David have a hard time thinking clearly when he woke up in the night? He had a concussion p.42
3. Describe how you would feel if you were injured, lost on the ocean, your boat’s heavy with water, and your all alone? Listen to your child’s thoughts p.48

Chapter 7

1. Describe where the phrase “one hand for the sailor, one hand for the ship” came from and what it means. In the old sailing days when the sailors had to climb up high onto the wooden yard, they would be terrified to let go and take care of the sails. One hand is to take care of yourself and the other is to take care of the ship p.53
2. Why did David tell himself, “one hand for the ship”? His life depended on the Frog and if he didn’t stop worrying about himself and take care of the ship, she would sink p.53
3. How did David drain the water from the cabin? A water pump p.54

Chapter 8

1. Explain why David felt some things were better not to know and to just let them be on page 58. Listen to your child’s answer p.58
2. What woke David in the night?  A shark bumping and scraping against the boat p.60
3. What did David have that helped him get through this situation? Knowledge p.65

Chapter 9

1. Why was David surprised to see himself covered with so many cuts and bruises? He didn’t realize he’d been beaten up during the storm p.69
2. Who could David relate to when he analyzed his hunger? A man in the store looking at the food on the shelves and not being able to eat it p.72
3. How did David get the thoughts of hunger out of his mind? Distracted himself by getting to work p.73

Chapter 10

1. Why did David call his boat the “rag boat”? Dishrags, cloth, cushions, drying sails, ropes, rags, and towels had been tied all over the boat to dry, and it reminded him of a Chinese boat in the harbor at Hong Kong with several families living on it doing laundry p.78
2. Why did David decide to keep his trash instead of throwing it overboard? He realized it might come in handy p.79
3. Why didn’t David want to keep reading the Frog’s log? It was a personal journal of his uncle and had intimate experiences in it. He felt like he was prying p.83

Chapter 11

1.  What woke David in the night? A huge tanker plowing toward him p.86
2. Why couldn’t anyone hear or see David as the tanker went by? The engines were too loud, and it was dark; no one was looking p.88
3. How would you feel if you saw hope disappear like David did? Listen to your child’s thoughts p.91

Chapter 12

1. What emotion was David feeling at the beginning of this chapter? Hate p.92
2. What did he realize about that emotion? It didn’t help his situation, and it festered more hate p.95
3. How did David know a change was coming? The swells were different p.97

Chapter 13

1. What happened when David ate the other half of the canned stew? He got sick p.101
2. Why did David call the wind “homewind” at the end of this chapter? This wind was taking him toward home p.106

Chapter 14

1. What surrounded David as he sailed toward home? 4 killer whales p.108
2. How did the whales show him they were friends? They didn’t hurt him, they stayed in a formation around his boat, like they were protecting him p.110
3. Find a word or phrase to describe how David felt on page 111 when there was a good wind. Listen to your child’s answers p.111

Chapter 15

1. What did David almost crash into while sailing in the dark? Land; a beach p.119
2. How did he know it was land? He could hear the surf p.119
3. How did he know it wasn’t California? There weren’t any city lights p.120

Chapter 16

1. Why was David frustrated at finding land? The land he was expecting to find was California/home, this land was barren with no sign of life p.122
2. Why did David feel safe in the bay? It was sheltered from the wind p.126

Chapter 17

1. What woke up David as he slept in the bay? A strong stench from the whales blasting water out of their blowholes p.128
2. Why couldn’t David stay in the bay after the whales left? He appreciated and enjoyed their company and didn’t want to be in the bay alone p.13
3. When David realized the storm was coming, why didn’t he go back to the bay to ride it out? He didn’t know when the storm was coming, and he didn’t want to lose precious sailing time p.131

Chapter 18

1. Why couldn’t David let the sea take the Frog again? The Frog was a part of who he was now, and he didn’t want to abandon her by going inside during the storm again p.134
2. What did David see as the storm passed and what did it mean? Another boat coming his way; he knew he was saved and could go home p.136
3. Why didn’t David let the researchers save him? The rescuers couldn’t take the Frog with them and he couldn’t leave the Frog behind after everything they had been through together; it had saved him p.139