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Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These Amazing Amphibians
Explore a toad’s life cycle
Toads are small and often unseen by human eyes, but their world is rich and varied. The toads in these eloquent poems describe their many wonders, from sticky fly-catching tongues, to the way they shed skin, and camouflage. Joanne Ryder traces the life cycle of amphibians as they change from springtime tadpoles into full-grown toads that hibernate in winter. Maggie Kneen’s illustrations showcase toads in their natural habitat with precise, dramatic detail. You’ll never think of toads the same way again! Toad by the Road is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Toads are small and often unseen by human eyes, but their world is rich and varied. The toads in these eloquent poems describe their many wonders, from sticky fly-catching tongues, to the way they shed skin, and camouflage. Joanne Ryder traces the life cycle of amphibians as they change from springtime tadpoles into full-grown toads that hibernate in winter. Maggie Kneen’s illustrations showcase toads in their natural habitat with precise, dramatic detail. You’ll never think of toads the same way again! Toad by the Road is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2007
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Ryder
107 books18 followersJoanna Ryder is an award-winning author whose books offer a unique blend of poetry and science. Her innovative Just for a Day series invites children into the world of wild animals, ranging from a sea otter to Tyrannosaurus rex. Ms. Ryder says, "Children know that my books often ask them to imagine being a different creature. So they always ask me which animal I would choose to be. I'd be a flying one, I tell them. Or if I could, I'd wish for wings. And I've discovered children would love wings, too. But which ones to choose? I wrote Rainbow Wings to help us decide." Ms. Ryder lives in Pacific Grove, California.
-taken from www.balkinbuddies.com
-taken from www.balkinbuddies.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 2, 2021
We’ve read this book multiple times - I don’t often give contemporary nature books for children 5 stars but this one deserves it!
October 29, 2018
A great book that makes learning about toads fun! With each poem there is also a description of what the toad is doing in each stage of its life. It makes factual information fun to learn for any age.
December 1, 2019
We really loved these seasonal poems and I think it is wonderful how each page has an interesting related fact about toads. This would be great for a short read aloud, choosing a poem or two, to share at a time. I was able to get through it in one bedtime and my son did not lose interest!
February 23, 2015
Personal reflection - This was a great book filled with super fun poems for children. This book takes you on a journey through a year's time through the life of these cool amphibians (frogs and toads). Not only is each poem fun but there are also fun facts found at the bottom of most of the pages. The poem, Raining Toads?, reminded me of a time when I was first driving. I drove down a street, in the rain, to find hundreds, maybe thousands of toads under a street light and in the middle of the road. I had no choice but to drive through them. I slowed way down thinking that if they would move. Sadly, many of them didn't. I squealed at the popping sounds they made under my tires and feel just terrible that I smashed several.
Purpose - 1st to 5th grade - Read aloud or read-to-self
Curriculum - This would be a fantastic poetry book to share during a science lesson on amphibians. It would also be a great book to use for lessons that cover the seasons of the year, counting, and also rhyming lessons. This pictures in this book are nice too and could be used for lessons on art and design, the visual differences between frogs and toads and their behavior patterns because the pictures are very realistic looking.
Purpose - 1st to 5th grade - Read aloud or read-to-self
Curriculum - This would be a fantastic poetry book to share during a science lesson on amphibians. It would also be a great book to use for lessons that cover the seasons of the year, counting, and also rhyming lessons. This pictures in this book are nice too and could be used for lessons on art and design, the visual differences between frogs and toads and their behavior patterns because the pictures are very realistic looking.
February 24, 2015
Toad by the road is a book of poems about amphibians. The book is divided into 4 sections; Spring-Summer, Late Summer-Fall, Summer, Winter-Spring. The toads life cycle coincides with the seasons. At the end of each poem is a short informational paragraph regarding toad facts that correspond with the topic of the poem. This book is a great way to connect science and poetry. The illustrations are natural and whimsical. My favortie poem is Chilly Chums. I like the rhyming flow of the words. The poem is about a bee and a toad who are resting til spring. I also like the poem Rah Rah Toadlets. The poem has a catchy little rhythym. The poem begins with We're short. We're brown. We're bumpy. We're young. We're strong. We're lumpy. The poem is about how the toadlets have grown. Their skin is no longer smooth but bumpy and warty. The book would be a great added feature to studying amphibians.
April 15, 2010
A collection of poems about frogs that spans the four seasons and includes at the bottom of most pages interesting, fun facts about "these amazing amphibians." Did you know that frogs can drink with their mouths closed? They absorb moisture through their skin, so they drink "by sitting in the rain, a puddle, or a damp spot" without ever taking a sip!
Potential Audience: K-2
Curricular Use: Science, animals, read-aloud, reference, independent reading
Genre: Poetry, non-fiction, facts about frogs
Literary Elements: Poetry, personification, onomatopoeia, simile
Image: Ill. using watercolors by Maggie Kneen. The illustrations are very pretty and reminiscent of a children's bedtime-story book.
Award: Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Winner: Poetry Award
Ryder, Joanne. Toad by the Road. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2007.
Potential Audience: K-2
Curricular Use: Science, animals, read-aloud, reference, independent reading
Genre: Poetry, non-fiction, facts about frogs
Literary Elements: Poetry, personification, onomatopoeia, simile
Image: Ill. using watercolors by Maggie Kneen. The illustrations are very pretty and reminiscent of a children's bedtime-story book.
Award: Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Winner: Poetry Award
Ryder, Joanne. Toad by the Road. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2007.
March 13, 2013
I loved reading this book. It was a complete surprise to me how interesting and fun it was. I really enjoyed how it was broken up by four sections, for the four different seasons. I can honestly say that I will never look at frogs or toads in the same light. I thought the rhyming and the use of words was very creative.
I really appreciated how the book allows the reader to use his/her imagination and can take you to a completely different place. As each poem gets going it gets better and better. In addition what is interesting about this book is that it has actual toad facts on the bottom of each page. I think that is a great mixture of poetry and factual information. All around a fantastic poetry book!
I really appreciated how the book allows the reader to use his/her imagination and can take you to a completely different place. As each poem gets going it gets better and better. In addition what is interesting about this book is that it has actual toad facts on the bottom of each page. I think that is a great mixture of poetry and factual information. All around a fantastic poetry book!
October 17, 2012
Toad by the Road is a funny book a poems about the wonderful creature of toads. The poems do a good job explaining the life of a toad and the world and environment that toads occupy. Further, it does a good job informing readers about small yet intricate details about toads, such as their fly-catching tongues. The illustrations are excellent and do a wonderful job of reinforcing the text. Further, there are added blurbs at the bottom of each page that do a good job of going further in-depth or explaining the ideas from the poem in a more scientific way. This is a fun book of poems that I would love to have in my class!
August 5, 2012
I saw this book in our Children's Literature book and I was intrigued to find out more. I was thinkging if I ever teach a unit on toads, this would be a great book of poems to have within that unit because it shows the lifecyle of a toad throughout the various seasons. Not only does it give poems within each season, the book also gives information on toads, too. So children are learning about poems, toads, and informational text on them, as well. So cute and informative!
October 17, 2012
Toad by the Road is a book of poems about a year in the life of amphibians. It contains a multitude of different short poems. There are poems about how they catch flies, how they shed their skin, how they fool their predators and much more. I enjoyed this book and would certainly us it in an elementary classroom. It would be beneficial to use in a second grade classroom while doing a unit on amphibians and/or poetry.
July 15, 2013
Wonderful book that mixes poetry with non-fiction! The poems are followed by a fact about toads that goes with the poem. "Raining Toads?" is followed by the fact that toads often move from ponds to land on rainy days and because of that it may look like it is raining toads. Fascinating book. Endpapers are sure to be noticed by children!
May 5, 2012
My 4-year-old daughter is now fascinated by the life of Amphibians. The poems are well described of the details. I am astonished by all the scientific information about toads!! It's totally educational!
January 27, 2016
The title is perfectly accurate as to the subject, but doesn't convey the stunning combination of poetic skill and scientific curiosity that fills each page. Beautifully detailed artwork enhances the language that depicts this simple, but amazing animal's existence from season to season.
September 8, 2013
A poetic journey through the year in the life of a toad, with facts sprinkled along the way.
April 26, 2015
Information book? Poetry? Both! What could be more fun.
April 27, 2014
Notes:
best for age 4-5
short poems on each page plus a couple informational sentences
book divided into seasons
nice illustrations
best for age 4-5
short poems on each page plus a couple informational sentences
book divided into seasons
nice illustrations
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews