James Sharinghousen (left) as Toad and Charles Grant as Frog bond over a scrumptious batch of cookies in "A Year With Frog and Toad." (Owen Carey)

In the world of Frog and Toad, it's the little things that define friendship.

Toad laments that he never gets mail, and Frog secretly sends him a letter. Frog tells a scary story, and Toad is obligingly rapt. The leaves come down in autumn, and each friend slips over to the other's house to rake his yard.

Frog and Toad, the creations of author and illustrator Arnold Lobel, appeared during the 1970s in four children's books that became instant classics. Brothers Willie and Robert Reale's show about the amphibious duo, "A Year With Frog and Toad," arrived in 2003 on Broadway, where it ran just long enough to net three Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.

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Charles Grant (left) and James Sharinghousen co-star as Frog and Toad in "A Year with Frog and Toad" at Oregon Children's Theatre. (Owen Carey)

Since then, "Frog and Toad" has made the rounds of regional children's theater companies. Oregon Children's Theatre's current production points to why Tony voters loved the musical: It channels Lobel's gentle humor and unpretentious charm while adding a dozen lively sidekicks and a nostalgia-driven score. One almost expects an MGM-style chorus line to prance onstage during a couple of numbers.

Director Dani Baldwin has captured Frog and Toad's friendship quite nicely, exploring the ways we relate to those we love, in a well-paced production that offers both teachable moments and just plain fun.

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Charles Grant (left) plays Frog and Colin Kane plays Snail in "A Year With Frog and Toad" at Oregon Children's Theatre. (Owen Carey)

Strengths

The Portland cast gets right into the spirit of the stories, especially Charles Grant as the mostly calm and deliberate Frog and James Sharinghousen as the mercurial and feisty Toad. The ensemble boasts big voices and delightful dancing, particularly from Colin Kane as Snail and Lauren Burton and Katie McClanan as a pair of appealingly nutty squirrels.

Weaknesses

In trimming the original show to 60 minutes, this production cuts several tales including the story that is arguably Lobel's best and that takes the most thoughtful look at what it means to be a friend, "Alone."

Age-appropriateness

While the Frog and Toad books are best for early readers, the musical's lyrics are sophisticated enough to appeal to older children and adults.

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Oregon Children's Theatre presents the Tony Award-nominated musical "A Year With Frog and Toad" at the Newmark Theatre. (Owen Carey)

Takeaway

Spend a pleasant hour catching up with old acquaintances, or making a couple of new ones, in this engaging, heartwarming ode to friendship.

***

"A Year with Frog and Toad"

When: 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday through May 27 (no 5 p.m. show Saturday, May 26, no 11 a.m. show Sunday, May 27)

Where: Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway

Tickets: $14-$32, octc.org or 503-228-9571