Author/photographer Doug Welchsler’s book The Hidden Life of a Toad (Charlesbridge) pretty much covers it all. This 48-page book takes readers from toad eggs (Day 1) through Day 1099, and then to “A new Day 1.” It covers a full life cycle, (minus death) with detailed and rather amazing photographs of all of it.
I enjoyed Doug’s child-friendly language:
“Now the tadpole is fat and round in front with a long skinny tail behind. It has the familiar tadpole shape.”
“Time to look for a home. The toadlet goes hopping, hopping, hopping through the forest. It is hardly bigger than a pea.”
The story concludes with a new batch of tadpoles emerging from eggs, but follows with pages devoted to a glossary, the difference between a frog and a toad, toad facts, saving toads, getting the photos, other books and websites to visit, and even a map of North America showing toad ranges, tucked in the back on a credits page.
This book is a must-have in school libraries, in the homes of nature lovers, and in every nature center in toad range. (Love that, “toad range.”)
Age: 4-8 years