Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/15/2017 *Starred Review* Kids may know the life stages of a toad: egg, tadpole, toadlet, and adult. But how do those radical changes take place? And what does the animal look like during its transformation from one stage to the next? This clearly illustrated volume offers close-up color photos of toads as they grow and change, beginning with embryos developing on jelly strands floating in a shallow pond, and concluding 1,098 days later with a female toad expelling two long jelly strings laden with eggs soon fertilized by a male. It’s one thing to know that a toadlet has arms, whereas a tadpole does not. It’s quite another to see the arm formed beneath the tadpole’s translucent skin, ready to pop out. On each double-page spread, the succinct, well-focused text appears alongside a large, horizontal photo. Occasionally, a label within a picture identifies features mentioned in the text, such as a tadpole’s gills. Wechsler trained as a biologist before becoming a professional wildlife photographer and writer and it shows; the photos and text would interest students at many grade levels, but the short sentences and large type make the book accessible to younger readers. The back matter offers additional information on toads and the photographer’s process. A fascinating look at toad development. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 K-Gr 3—Biologist and photographer Wechsler's chronicle of a toad's journey from embryo all the way to adulthood is insightful. The images—detailed full-color photographs—are everything a budding naturalist could wish for, right down to the warty close-ups. The text, while clearly written and full of intriguing tidbits (for instance, a tadpole hangs out in water too shallow for hungry fish, and the tadpole's tail is recycled within its body) does lack a certain grace. Still, the content presented is pertinent to the life cycle of amphibians. The book includes a primer on the differences between a frog and a toad, a list of toad facts, and information on conservation efforts. Wechsler also explains how he managed to take the photos. VERDICT Suitable for libraries needing to bolster their early nonfiction collections.—Marie Drucker, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, NY - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.