Tadpole's Promise (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))

Book Description

Where the willow tree meets the water, a tadpole met a caterpillar.

They gazed into each other's tiny eyes...and fell in love.

"I love everything about you," said the caterpillar.

"Promise you'll never change." And foolishly the tadpole promised...

But we all know that tadpoles don't stay the same, and neither do caterpillars.

Will they still be able to love each other?

Customer Reviews:

4-year-old's favorite!.......2007-10-01

This is my 4-year-old daughter's favorite book. She loves to read it with mom or dad and just laugh and laugh at the ending. I found her the other night reciting (from memory) the book while lying in bed.

The illustrations are inviting, with a humorous "side story" evolving (so to speak) in pictures at the bottom of the pages. The writing is concise and flows nicely.

My daughter is a nature lover, and we have always been open with her about the circle of life. This mild and funny book has a twist of an ending that apparently offends parents who prefer to shield their children from the reality of nature. However, [spoiler alert] a watercolor frog eating a watercolor butterfly is hardly graphic and, in fact, in the context of this great book is rather hilarious.

Not for kids under 4 or 5.......2007-07-13

Like many others have said, my daughter was shocked by the ending and pretty disturbed. We got the book after having seen real tadpoles in a stream while on vacation. I read the first half of the book, but didn't make it to the end until she and I read it together at bedtime. She was mortified that the frog ate his friend. I can certainly see how this book might appeal to older kids, and the artwork is very nice, but it's just not for little ones.

I didn't expect THAT ending.......2007-02-28

A caterpillar and a tadpole promise not to change when they fall in love. Just like real life, change happens. Find out the surprise ending and enjoy the repetition along the way.

July 2006 Lazy Readers' Book Club selection [...].......2006-07-28

I absolutely love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough for all ages, as it tells the amusing tale of a caterpillar and tadpole who fall in love and promise one another to never change. The caterpillar becomes annoyed when her beloved tadpole develops into a frog, but she goes through some changes of her own. One of the most gratifying endings of any children's book I've read recently, and a useful book for those of us who still try to incorporate a little science into school. A MUST READ! To view this and other cool short book recommendations, visit the Lazy Readers' Book Club at [...]

brave and funny.......2006-03-02

The tadpole and the caterpillar are best friends, and promise never to change. The caterpillar is aghast and hurt when the tadpole becomes a frog, and the frog doesn't even recognize his true love when she becomes a beautiful butterfly.

[SPOILER ALERT] But, through a miracle, they realize what has happened and fall in love again...in a deeper, more mature, accepting affection... NOT! The frog gobbles up the butterfly in one happy gulp!

What a relief to see a book that acknowledges that some promises were not ever possible to keep, whatever the good intentions, and how refreshing to see a story about animals that accepts who eats whom. The first time I read it, I was horrified that this book, which cleverly lured me into a little metaphor for relationships, trust, and acceptance so violently jarred me into reality. A few
re-readings and I was in admiration, and then I was laughing.
I believe that kids,
who are a bloodthirsty group in general, will laugh, too.

Average customer rating:

A Must for Frog & Toad Lovers
Frogs are Cool
Frogs get a needed boost
Great gift!
An Exquisite Book

Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World
Ellin Beltz
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1552978699

Book Description

Frogs and toads provide one of the great animal success stories on Earth.

In this comprehensive book, renowned herpetologist Ellin Beltz offers a compelling picture of the history of the frog, its anatomical makeup, its place in the natural world and the threats that are seriously reducing its numbers around the world.

Today, frogs are found on most islands around the world and on all continents except Antarctica. Frogs live from the warmest and wettest tropical lowlands to about 17,000 feet above sea level in the Himalayas. Some areas of Earth have more frogs than others, but frogs are true survivors.

But it isn't easy being green. This hearty amphibian lives both on land and in the water and is exposed to a host of chemical and environmental threats. The frog is an animal that indicates the overall health of the environment in which it lives. It is not too much to say that "as goes the frog, so goes the swamp," and even perhaps the planet.

Frogs contains a detailed look at all 31 frog families, allowing the reader to learn more about specific ones and appreciate the range and diversity of this popular amphibian. And, yes, toads are covered here, too. There is also a fascinating section on frogs in myth and culture, showing the place frogs have occupied in art and literature.

This handsome book is lavishly illustrated with over 125 color photographs representing the remarkable range and world of an utterly fascinating creature.

Customer Reviews:

A Must for Frog & Toad Lovers.......2007-01-11

A great book - beautiful pictures and interesting, easy to understand text. A must for frog & toad lovers everywhere.

Frogs are Cool.......2006-11-10

Booklist said it best "Frogs are cool." They are also wierd. What is great about Herpetologist Beltz's books is that she fully knows both, but leans a bit on wierd side. You'll learn everything you want to know about frogs, biology to mythology, but you will also see photos never before shown anywhere of frogs doing, well, not exactly froggy things.

Frogs get a needed boost.......2006-03-18

Ellin Beltz has written a compelling, colorful, and accessible volume that will give the reader a true appreciation for frogs and a lot of useful information - even for those who thought they already knew quite a bit about frogs! Children will certainly enjoy the beautiful photos of frogs, but this is not a children's book; reading and understanding the text will require at least a "middle school" to high school level of comprehension. This book can stand as an introduction to the subject for the layperson with only a basic knowledge of biology, and the more advanced reader will find this book a good reference on anuran biology and diversity. Anyone with an interest in nature will find it entertaining, and perhaps a little disturbing, considering the frequent notes and comments on the decline and disappearance of many frog species. The author places considerable emphasis on the long historical (and mythological) relationship between frogs and humans, relations which usually turn out to the detriment of frogs.
Yes, there are other colorful books on frogs and amphibians- you need this one too!

Great gift!.......2006-01-09

My husband and I received this as a gift. Although we had started to get tired of people giving us frog gifts, we really are so glad we got this book. It has tons of great looking colored photos of all kinds of different frogs, but also provides information as well. It's not too bulky, and looks great on the cofee table. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves frogs.

An Exquisite Book.......2005-12-22

This is a book that one truly can judge by its inviting cover, since the pages are every bit as captivating. The text is filled with authoritative information, presented in an accessible, even lively, style. Every frog family makes an appearance in a spectacular album, along with extraordinary facts - some fascinating, others heart-breaking. As a frog-o-phile of nearly four decades I was delighted to receive Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World, which is filled with extraordinary photographs of unusual creatures along with familiar friends. How nice to see that such a high-quality book is not a rare species.

Average customer rating:

Jackson's Plan
Linda Talley
Manufacturer: MarshMedia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1559421045

Book Description

A green treefrog in the Okefenokee Swamp demonstrates the value of perseverance. Colorful endpages give factual information about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and its inhabitants.

Average customer rating:

Earth Mother Shines

Earth Mother
Ellen Jackson
Manufacturer: Walker Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0802789927
Release Date: 2005-08-25

Book Description

The circle of life turns in unexpected ways.

Earth Mother awakes with the dawn. As she walks the land, swims the seas, and climbs the mountains, nurturing all of creation, she comes across
Man, Frog, and Mosquito. They each give her thanks for nature’s bounty,
yet can’t help but give her advice about making their lives better. Everybody’s got an opinion, it seems, and Earth Mother is amused when it becomes clear that the circle of life is not without a healthy dose of cosmic humor.

Leo and Diane Dillon lend their formidable talents to Ellen Jackson’s original folktale about the unexpected and sometimes humorous ways that life
is interconnected.

Customer Reviews:

Earth Mother Shines.......2006-01-04

At a time when quieter books for children are sadly few and far between, reading Ellen Jackson's EARTH MOTHER is especially rewarding. The illustrations illuminate her lyrical text, with phrases such as "a robe fringed with falling rain" and "placed a piece of summer in a flower's seed." Earth Mother smiling and walking on with no verbal response to the complaints from Man and Frog is as it should be, and my 4-year-old nodded along approvingly. She already knows, as Jackson does, that Earth Mother knows best.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in sharing the beauty and wonder of the world with a child.

Average customer rating:

Wash Your Hands After Reading
Toad is a toddler's best friend
Great giggles for kids

Toad (Picture Books)

Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140565507

Customer Reviews:

Wash Your Hands After Reading.......2005-09-21

"Toad" by Ruth Brown describes the real life of an ordinary toad. Murky, brownish, darkish green pictures fill the book in dramatic two-page spreads, capturing the action of each page.

This is not a great book; it is a fun book. Reading it is like playing in a puddle, or squishing wet clay into a new shape.

Toads, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, are creatures that dwell in mud, eat vile things, and neither taste nor smell pleasant. Brown tells us about the toad as it really is.

The vocabulary, with words like septic, toxic, bitter, venomous, and my favorite, trundle, will sometimes be beyond most children. They will learn new words as they return to the book again and again.

I enjoyed it the way I enjoy Oscar the Grouch. Have fun with this one.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Toad is a toddler's best friend.......2001-12-19

My son is 21 months and this is his absolute favorite book. He LOVES all of the pictures and the muddy, mucky, sticky, gooey TOAD! This book is so much fun to read, and it really gets my son excited about reading. Best of all are the fabulous illustrations. We have come to love Ruth Brown's books, and we think that she is the best children's illustrator around.

Great giggles for kids.......1998-10-15

While babysitting, I read this book to two girls: 2 and 5 years old. They LOVED it. You can really have fun with the words - gooey slimy bug crunching - and change your tone while reading. It's a sure fire winner.

Average customer rating:

My son says, "Give it a 'ten'!"
entertaining & educational for both mom & daughter

Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad's Tale
April Pulley Sayre
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688166156

Book Description

The desert Southwest
is full of sounds.

Skitter, skitter, scratch.
A scorpion is crawling.
Pop, pop, pop.
kangaroo rat is hopping.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
A rattlesnake is
shaking its tail.

But the spadefoot toad
is quiet in her
underground burrow,
listening for one sound
in particular...
What is that sound?
And what will the
spadefoot toad do
when she hears it?

Customer Reviews:

My son says, "Give it a 'ten'!".......2003-08-06

My son used this book as a reference for a science project that involved raising spadefoot toad tadpoles. This is a picture book with a very simple story, but the excellent illustrations depict the toad's lifecycle and unique habitat. We have enjoyed watching the spadefoot toads for years. They appear in droves after big summer storms, lay their eggs, and disappear almost immediately.

entertaining & educational for both mom & daughter.......2003-05-14

This is a lovely book. Very well written, with delightful illustrations. My daughter begs for me to read it to her over & over again. It taught me new things about several animals, and it's fun to read aloud. We love it.

Frog and Toad All Year Book and CD (I Can Read Book 2)

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Frog and Toad All Year Book and CD (I Can Read Book 2)

Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0060786981
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Book Description

Read along with your favorite I Can Read Book characters!

I Can Read Books are the premier line of beginning readers encouraging children to learn-and love-to read. Featuring award-winning authors and illustrators, I Can Read Books offer a full spectrum of entertaining stories for every stage of a child's reading development.

Now the beloved characters and adventures from this popular line of books come to life with I Can Read Book and CDs. Each package includes a best-selling beginning-reader storybook and a lively audio recording featuring:

Word-for-word narration
Music and sound effects
One version with turn-the-page signals
One version of uninterrupted reading

Around the World With Phineas Frog: A Geographical Puzzle (Child's Play Library)

Average customer rating:

Fun!
A Virtual Vacation!
Great Book!

Around the World With Phineas Frog: A Geographical Puzzle (Child's Play Library)
Paul Adshead
Manufacturer: Child's Play International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0859539539

Book Description

The latest in the series. Phineas and his daughter travel round the globe, exploring the sights and amassing souvenirs. Turns us into expert geographical detectives. For children ages 8-16 years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun!.......2006-11-11

This is a fun way for older elementary kids to learn some geography or test what they already know. In this book Phineas Frog and his daughter travel the globe. You have to figure out where they are from clues within the poetry on each page. It's a fun book for parent and child to do together. It's NOT for young children, though! It was WAY over my four year old's head.

A Virtual Vacation!.......2003-02-22

This is SUCH a neat book! Phineas and his daughter embark on a world tour in his hot air balloon. At each stop, Phineas does some sightseeing and his daughter does some shopping, purchasing souvenirs found in each country. The pictures are comical, the rhyming story is fun, and the puzzle is challenging, though not difficult. My 4 year old and I have gone through the book and it held her attention the whole time. I had thought we might need to read through it in several sittings. We haven't solved the puzzles at the end of the book yet. My 9 year old will be able to solve the puzzles on her own. They involve going back through the book, looking at the places they stopped and what they collected (and lost), then taking letters from these words to spell the answers to the puzzles. FUN!

Great Book!.......2001-03-01

This book really helped my children with their geographic skills! I would reccomend this book to any family with children!

Frog and the Wide World (English-Urdu) (Frog series)

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Frog and the Wide World (English-Urdu) (Frog series)
Max Velthuijs
Manufacturer: Milet Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1840591986

Book Description

When Frog ventures out in the wide world, he soon discovers he misses home.

Average customer rating:

Bright color illustrations add a festive touch to this exuberant story

Wanda and the Frogs
Barbara Azore
Manufacturer: Tundra Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Frogs & Toads | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0887767613
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

Blue-eyed, freckle-faced Wanda is back, and with her comes spring, puddles, and wriggling black tadpoles. Wanda is enchanted. On the way to school one morning, Wanda scoops some tadpoles into her sand pail. When she presents them to her teacher, the teacher agrees to let the class take care of them until they become frogs. But what will happen to the tadpoles once they grow legs and their tails begin to shrink? Wanda is worried. She wants to keep them. When she secretly moves the frogs into her own bedroom at home, Wanda’s family is in for a hilarious host of surprises.

In this charming sequel to Wanda and the Wild Hair, the dynamic author/illustrator team of Barbara Azore and Georgia Graham perform their magic in another joyful adventure of the quirky and mischievous Wanda.

Customer Reviews:

Bright color illustrations add a festive touch to this exuberant story .......2007-04-14

The delightful sequel to the highly recommended "Wanda and the Wild Hair", Wanda and the Frogs is the latest picturebook featuring the adventures spunky young Wanda, who is completely enchanted with all the trappings of spring - especially its rain puddles and wriggling black tadpoles! When she brings tadpoles in a sand pail to her teacher, her class is allowed to care for them until they become frogs. But then what will happen to the frogs? Wanting to keep the frogs, Wanda devises a scheme to move them into her own bedroom - with hilarious results! Bright color illustrations add a festive touch to this exuberant story with a touching moral about compassion. "'Now Wanda' he said, taking her by the hand. 'Let's get dressed and take the frogs back to the creek. Frogs don't like living in houses. They'll be much happier at the creek.' 'Okay,' said Wanda. 'But I'll be able to visit them, won't I?'"

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