WE ARE THE WIBBLY

Follow a tadpole through its transformation into a frog, a process sometimes accompanied by big feelings.

Like the adage says, life comes at you fast. One minute you’re relaxing in the “jelly-like” Wibbly (frogspawn), then “oh my crikeys!,” you’re a tadpole with a “tail-thing.” This U.K. import smoothly and clearly details the stages between tadpole and frog, from gaining front and back legs to losing one’s tail and breathing air. Our protagonist evades the “hunger-muncher” fish and “furry danger-monster” cat, before the tale ends with older, wiser frogs reminiscing, “Do you remember when we were the Wibbly?” While some life cycle books feel dry, this one is enlivened by humor and the modest but compelling narrative, which follows a distinctive pink-cheeked tadpole who’s decidedly ambivalent about this whole metamorphosis business. Our hero experiences jealousy when fellow tadpoles easily learn “water-flying” and apprehension when the others mature more quickly; it’s a relatable reminder that frogs (and people!) grow at their own pace. Frequent exclamation points propel the springy narrative, and sprinkles of quirky invented words and unconventional grammar feel very froglike indeed. Some might look askance at the “fasterest” frogs eating “juicable dinners,” but it’s definitely evocative language. Splashy illustrations in ink, mixed-media, and Photoshop leap with energy, while the gently rounded, big-eyed frogs are cute yet still accurately rendered. A page of backmatter nicely summarizes the frog’s life cycle.

A hopping good book perfect for budding biologists.