The slimey, sticky toad gets swallowed for dinner by a monster and then, surprisingly, is spat back out, in an amusing tale with rhyming text and detailed, watercolor illustrations.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2. Toad is not a pretty sight. Covered with warts and filled with venom, he slithers through the primordial swamp "odorous, oozing, foul and filthy." Viewers will be intrigued by gradual glimpses of a creature who, hidden behind trailing vines and swampy terrain, is stalking the toad. When the camouflage is peeled away and the prehistoric lizardlike monster tastes his repulsive catch, he spits it out with a resounding "yuuuuuck." The freely composed art employs a spatter paint technique to convey the dripping environment and to heighten the action of the climax. From the wart-encrusted endpapers to the browns and greens of the slimy mire, the fluid watercolor illustrations aptly depict the setting. While the brief text and art are successful at conveying this somewhat odious story, its appeal will be limited to those who revel in the unappetizing side of nature.?Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 3^-6. Slime and muck are power in this wonderful picture-book story of a toad's natural survival in a pond. The words are funny and physical: "a clammy, sticky, gooey toad" is "covered in warts and lumps and bumps." At the same time, the watercolor spreads show the pond as an astonishingly beautiful place, with wildlife and plants that are fragile and luminous: the transparent wings of a hovering dragonfly, the glowing petals of a lily. Toad is an outsider here, odorous, oozing, foul, and filthy; and he's greedy, too, munching flies, slurping worms. What's more, he is clumsy, and he can't see too well. The pictures show a hidden creature watching toad, lying in wait for toad in the reeds, until the climactic scene when toad stumbles straight into the jaws of the predator--who spits out the slimy mouthful in disgust. Toad lives. Preschoolers will love the yucky details, the rising tension of the story and the triumph of the small outlaw, and the pictures that show the gorgeous, realistic setting for the escape adventure story. Hazel Rochman
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Toad is a toddler's best friend,
By A Customer
This review is from: Toad (Hardcover)
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.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great giggles for kids,
By A Customer
This review is from: Toad (Hardcover)
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.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Toad by Ruth Brown,
By Toady Fan (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Toad (Hardcover)
Excellent book that my toddler daughter loves. She insists we read it to her several times in a row, making her rounds between her Dad, me and her older brothers and sisters. It is especially delightful to her because she spent all summer catching and playing with toads.
The art, the language and the story itself are all captivating. It is a shame that the book is out of print. It is a treasure. One of our all time favorite children's books. Thank you Ms. Brown.
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