SLIPPERY, SLIMY BABY FROGS

From conception to adult froghood, this spectacular photo essay clearly explains the changes that happen as frogs grow up. Beautifully reproduced large-scale close-ups of 15 different frogs from around the world highlight the variety of ways they pass through each stage, from egg to tadpole (most of them) to adult frog, as well as the ways parents care or don’t care for them. The text is relatively simple and direct; unusual words are italicized and defined in a glossary/index in the back, which provides pronunciations as well. A world map shows the countries where the frogs were photographed and provides a scientific name, though no page number, for each frog described. The author briefly mentions the issue of declining frog populations and includes a page of clear instructions for raising your own baby frogs if you live in an area where populations are stable. This fascinating description respects the intelligence of young readers, appealing to their curiosity about the natural world and their understandable interest in other childhoods. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-10)