The Hidden Life of a Toad
Juvenile nonfiction
"April sunshine warms a shallow pool. In the water, strings of
jelly twist over, under, around. What is this tangle of stuff? It
looks like a pile of spaghetti."
A number of years ago when my girls were young (Adam hadn't
arrived) and we were exploring the shallowest edges of a lake I caught
a very strange looking creature with a tadpole tail and strong looking
hind legs. Of course after I showed Amber and Katie I gently released
it.
Well in the Orono Public Library's children's wing I discovered
Doug Wechsler's The Hidden Life of a Toad. It's an album of the toad
growth cycle from the spaghetti like stage to propogating the
species. The pictures are amazingly up close and detailed. Some are
quIte lovely. And, yes, there was a legged tadpole just like the one
I saw all those years ago.
Did you know that in Philadelphia a road is closed for several
nights to allow toads to reach their breeding place without getting
squished? People are finally realizing what an important part of the
web of nature toads are. (My mom used to relocate them to her garden
where they served as very vigilant insect devourers). Readers can
learn ways they and their families can help make the world safer for
amphibians.
If The Hidden Life of a Toad isn't in your library I suggest
that you hop to suggest they acquire it. You'll be glad you did.
On a personal note, I got to spend yesterday with Joey writing and
cleaning. But my life is starting to speed up even before fall
semester starts. Tonight I have community garden. I'm hoping my new
promising recruits show up. (I promised to bring in white chocolate
craisin cookies so I'd better channel my inner Betty Crocker.) Then I
have the international student social. What does one wear to
gardening and a social? Hopefully I can get away with my favorite tie
dye capris and coral tee shirt.
A great big shout out goes out to my community garden crew and the
UMaine international students family.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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