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The Mysterious Tadpole
It's Louis's birthday and Uncle McAllister has brought him a very special gift&150a tadpole all the way from Scotland! Louis can hardly wait for Alphonse to grow into a frog. But it soon becomes clear that Alphonse is not turning into any ordinary frog. First Alphonse outgrows his jar, then the sink, and then the bathtub! This new edition of The Mysterious Tadpole boasts reimagined story twists and entirely new illustrations. The lovable giant of a tadpole has grown into something even more wonderful!
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
16 people are currently reading
580 people want to read
About the author
Steven Kellogg
169 books174 followersSteven Kellogg is an author and illustrator who has contributed over 90 books for children. He is best known for writing books about animals, for which he credits his grandmother .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
May 18, 2025
Steven Kellogg's classic children's book "The Mysterious Tadpole" holds a special place in my heart as I met the author when I was about 8 or nine years old, when he came to visit my elementary school. He signed a copy of my book, which I read so frequently that some of the pages were falling out of the binding. He inspired me to one day write childrens' books myself, an aspiration that I still have.
The story is about a boy who receives a gift of a cute tadpole that his uncle found in a little loch in Scotland. In a short time, the "tadpole" grows into sea serpent that he must move from his aquarium to the kitchen sink to the bathtub and, eventually, the local swimming pool, where the big lovable monster becomes a favorite attraction to the local children in the neighborhood.
The thing that really makes this special is the artwork. Kellogg created one of the most adorable monsters ever, with its dog-like grin and drooling tongue and wide curious eyes. Think a cross between Godzilla and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
How this has never been picked up by Disney or Steven Spielberg to be made into a movie befuddles me.
The story is about a boy who receives a gift of a cute tadpole that his uncle found in a little loch in Scotland. In a short time, the "tadpole" grows into sea serpent that he must move from his aquarium to the kitchen sink to the bathtub and, eventually, the local swimming pool, where the big lovable monster becomes a favorite attraction to the local children in the neighborhood.
The thing that really makes this special is the artwork. Kellogg created one of the most adorable monsters ever, with its dog-like grin and drooling tongue and wide curious eyes. Think a cross between Godzilla and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
How this has never been picked up by Disney or Steven Spielberg to be made into a movie befuddles me.
August 14, 2018
Being an uncle or aunt is better than being a parent because you get to give too much candy, loud toys, or live animals that grow to enormous proportions.
March 19, 2022
Das beste Buch, welches ich je gelesen habe
March 1, 2007
For his birthday every year this boy's uncle gives him exotic species he finds during his exursions, and one year he gives him a tadpole. The tadpole grows too big for the bowl, so it goes in a tank. Then it grows too big for the tank, so it goes in the tub. It really likes cheeseburgers around this time. When it gets too big for the tub, the boy puts it in the school pool, since it's summer. However, once classes start in the fall, the tadpole has to get out, so the boy is pretty upset. It's a pretty great story, and SPOILER ALERT the pet is not a tadpole at all.
September 23, 2019
Highly imaginative. A pet is a responsibility. It can be a challenge to take care of the animal's basic needs.
July 9, 2014
The mysterious tadpole is so sweet and lovable, I'd like him to live in my bathtub!
April 25, 2020
Read this for #magicalreadathon2020 for Herbology. When I was younger, I always wanted to have some creature/pet like Malwine. At least I got a dog now
September 1, 2022
What if you got a tadpole for your birthday that was no ordinary tadpole? Louis named his new tadpole Alphonse and discovered it loved cheeseburgers. Soon it had outgrown its jar, then the sink, next the bathtub, and soon the house. Louis's parents decide Alphonse has to go to the zoo. Louis has other ideas. Pick up this imaginative tale and see what might happen if a baby Loch Ness Monster accidentally made its way to a boy's birthday party. Lots of fun and colorful, detailed illustrations.
April 4, 2024
Trouvaille au Paper Hound Bookstore grâce à Léa et Jules! Histoire touchante aux illustrations merveilleuses qui enrichissent le texte de mille détails.
September 16, 2013
The wonderful thing about this book is the discussion it can generate for children, before, during and after reading the book. Why is the tadpole mysterious? Why does Alphonse eat cheeseburgers? What is a Loch Ness monster?
This book seems to be well suited for teaching a science module. For example you can discuss with children about the different stages of development for a frog, while also discussing different ways of caring for pets. In addition, you could potentially provide photographs of tadpoles and frogs so that children can see the differences between them. Children can also investigate the world of fantasy and reality; 'Do you think monsters are real or make-believe?' and 'What other kinds of things do people believe in that may not be real?' Questions like this will almost certainly spark debate amongst them.
Kellogg manages to conjure up a world of fantasy that would appeal to the children and provoke them into creating images and ideas in their own mind. For example the very idea that Alphonse grew so fast, that he ate cheeseburgers and that he unearthed a treasure chest shows the author's intention to entertain the readers and fuel their imaginations.
This book seems to be well suited for teaching a science module. For example you can discuss with children about the different stages of development for a frog, while also discussing different ways of caring for pets. In addition, you could potentially provide photographs of tadpoles and frogs so that children can see the differences between them. Children can also investigate the world of fantasy and reality; 'Do you think monsters are real or make-believe?' and 'What other kinds of things do people believe in that may not be real?' Questions like this will almost certainly spark debate amongst them.
Kellogg manages to conjure up a world of fantasy that would appeal to the children and provoke them into creating images and ideas in their own mind. For example the very idea that Alphonse grew so fast, that he ate cheeseburgers and that he unearthed a treasure chest shows the author's intention to entertain the readers and fuel their imaginations.
February 1, 2016
Louis receives a "tadpole" for his birthday from his Scottish uncle, but it never becomes a frog no matter how many cheeseburgers he feeds it. Instead, Alphonse, grows into a very respectable sized (i.e. HUGE) Loch Ness monster, who also happens to be very obedient and well-trained. When Alphonse outgrows the house, however, Louis is forced to find him a new place to live. With the help of his librarian (super librarian!) and some treasure (retrieved by Alphonse), Louis is able to buy the parking lot next door, which he transforms into a city swimming pool for Alphonse and everyone else. A happy ending! And then it's his birthday again and his uncle shows up with another unusual present. Uh-oh.
The illustrations fill in a lot of the details in this story, so if you're reading this with kids, it's a good idea to discuss what's going on. Savvy readers will guess what Alphonse is before the reveal, but knowing is half the fun. Great read!
The illustrations fill in a lot of the details in this story, so if you're reading this with kids, it's a good idea to discuss what's going on. Savvy readers will guess what Alphonse is before the reveal, but knowing is half the fun. Great read!
September 30, 2019
Review for the 25th Anniversary "revised and reillustrated edition."
Whoever decided releasing a revised and reillustrated edition of this classic book and actually approved the result should have been fired. The original is wonderful. The new edition is "terrible" according to my children. It's not at all the same text or illustrations. The meat of the story is there but all the best illustrations are gone (for example, the stork at the post office in Scotland is gone and his uncle delivers the tadpole in person).
Why mess with a classic? There was nothing objectionable in the first book that was corrected.
I think we might petition to get it removed from our library's collection and replaced with the original, it's that bad in comparison.
Whoever decided releasing a revised and reillustrated edition of this classic book and actually approved the result should have been fired. The original is wonderful. The new edition is "terrible" according to my children. It's not at all the same text or illustrations. The meat of the story is there but all the best illustrations are gone (for example, the stork at the post office in Scotland is gone and his uncle delivers the tadpole in person).
Why mess with a classic? There was nothing objectionable in the first book that was corrected.
I think we might petition to get it removed from our library's collection and replaced with the original, it's that bad in comparison.
August 13, 2016
This is not my favorite Steven Kellogg story, but the illustrations are very rich and lush in this new anniversary edition. The story is one of disbelief, it's a fun, endearing tale. Reminded me of A Fish Out of Water, but with some added folkloric detail for substance. The endpapers are gorgeous and funny.
February 3, 2016
I am adding never-before-read picture books that I am reading to Eloise
October 20, 2019
I gave this post 5 stars because I absolutely loved the illustrations throughout the story and I thought they connected to the plot of the story so well. This story was about a little boy named Louis who got a tadpole from his uncle McAllister who lives in Scotland. The tadpole started off small but throughout the book grew to be bigger and bigger. Louis fed the tadpole cheeseburgers, taught him to be obedient, retrieve objects, and took care of him throughout the book. Every time the tadpole grew out of the home that Louis made for him, the boy found a bigger home. The story had a happy ending with the boy getting a new pet from his uncle for his next birthday. This book exemplifies low level fantasy because the real world does exist in the story but the magical element was the tadpole that was the boy’s pet ate cheeseburgers, played soccer with him, found buried treasure, and grew to be humongous!
A strategy I would use to teach this book would be to teach how the illustrator used the pictures to really describe what was happening in the story. I would read the story to the students and stop on each page to discuss what they see and why the illustrator added those details. I would teach students how pictures help readers visualize what is going on in the story and readers can convey meaning from pictures. As a class we would closely look at each picture and identify what it is showing us in connection to the story. After we read the story I would have students look back at the very first picture in the book where it has the uncle getting the tadpole out of the lake with the mom watching and ask them if this picture could have helped them make a prediction for what was going to happen to the tadpole in the story. I would also have students go back to the cover of the book and think about how that could have helped them make predictions for what was happening in the story.
An extension activity that I would use for this book would be describing the character Louis. I would have students identify how Louis was a responsible pet owner throughout the book. I would also have them describe how Louis felt about his tadpole Alphonse and identify evidence to support their thinking.
Another extension activity that I would do would be finding an informational text on the life cycle of a frog. I would have students research the life cycle of a frog, illustrate each stage, and write what happens during each stage. Then I would have them look at the book again and identify how they can tell the tadpole is not a real tadpole.
A strategy I would use to teach this book would be to teach how the illustrator used the pictures to really describe what was happening in the story. I would read the story to the students and stop on each page to discuss what they see and why the illustrator added those details. I would teach students how pictures help readers visualize what is going on in the story and readers can convey meaning from pictures. As a class we would closely look at each picture and identify what it is showing us in connection to the story. After we read the story I would have students look back at the very first picture in the book where it has the uncle getting the tadpole out of the lake with the mom watching and ask them if this picture could have helped them make a prediction for what was going to happen to the tadpole in the story. I would also have students go back to the cover of the book and think about how that could have helped them make predictions for what was happening in the story.
An extension activity that I would use for this book would be describing the character Louis. I would have students identify how Louis was a responsible pet owner throughout the book. I would also have them describe how Louis felt about his tadpole Alphonse and identify evidence to support their thinking.
Another extension activity that I would do would be finding an informational text on the life cycle of a frog. I would have students research the life cycle of a frog, illustrate each stage, and write what happens during each stage. Then I would have them look at the book again and identify how they can tell the tadpole is not a real tadpole.
October 25, 2020
On my Steven Kellogg reunion tour. This is a 25st anniversary reissue of the original story with fresh art work that makes use of bold colors and a reworking of the story that only adds to what I hope is a timeless appeal.
I suppose I love the idea so much of a boy receiving a live tadpole from his uncle because I would have loved such a thing as a child. And, of course, the tadpole becomes a focus on a jumping off into a science lesson on tadpoles becoming frogs. (Something which was a common occurrence in our home school.) And the tadpole keeps growing his way out of every container they try to keep him in. Somewhere along the line they realize that he is not changing into a frog. Since he is now as big as a dog, they take him to obedience school and his growing size gets him ejected from the school. Louis's quick thinking gets Alphonse secretly admitted to the vacant pool over summer break.
The ending with the find and retrieval of the treasure chest secures Alphonse his place.
My children always loved the surprise gift at the end that Louis receives from his uncle for his current birthday.
I suppose I love the idea so much of a boy receiving a live tadpole from his uncle because I would have loved such a thing as a child. And, of course, the tadpole becomes a focus on a jumping off into a science lesson on tadpoles becoming frogs. (Something which was a common occurrence in our home school.) And the tadpole keeps growing his way out of every container they try to keep him in. Somewhere along the line they realize that he is not changing into a frog. Since he is now as big as a dog, they take him to obedience school and his growing size gets him ejected from the school. Louis's quick thinking gets Alphonse secretly admitted to the vacant pool over summer break.
The ending with the find and retrieval of the treasure chest secures Alphonse his place.
My children always loved the surprise gift at the end that Louis receives from his uncle for his current birthday.
October 16, 2018
Summary: Louis's uncle always brought him something unique for his birthday. This year, he got a tadpole from Scotland. The tadpole kept growing and growing until they could not care for it anymore. They had to find a new place to put him, so they found lost treasure and bought a swimming pool to put the monster in.
Evaluation: This book is a fantasy book, but does not make much sense. The actions of the characters are hard to find realistic. The main character does some stuff that does not make sense, like putting the monster into a pool instead of the ocean. Even in a fantasy book, these actions do not make any logical sense.
Teaching Idea: This book could be used to teach cause and effect. This book seems to go from one activity to another throughout the whole book. For younger children, the pictures could be cut out, and they can sequence them in order of cause and effects. An example would be having a picture of the tadpole getting bigger, so they put him in the middle school pool.
Evaluation: This book is a fantasy book, but does not make much sense. The actions of the characters are hard to find realistic. The main character does some stuff that does not make sense, like putting the monster into a pool instead of the ocean. Even in a fantasy book, these actions do not make any logical sense.
Teaching Idea: This book could be used to teach cause and effect. This book seems to go from one activity to another throughout the whole book. For younger children, the pictures could be cut out, and they can sequence them in order of cause and effects. An example would be having a picture of the tadpole getting bigger, so they put him in the middle school pool.
January 22, 2021
Ulli bekommt jedes Jahr von seinem Onkel aus Schottland Geschenke für seine Naturkunde-Sammlung geschenkt.
In diesem Jahr ist es etwas ganz Besonderes - eine Kaulquappe in einem Glas. Ulli tauft sie Malwine.
Doch nach kurzer Zeit stellt sich heraus, dass Malwine gar kein Frosch wird, sondern etwas viel größeres, sodass der Platz im Haus bald nicht mehr ausreicht.
Schließlich kommt Ulli auf einen Plan, wie er es schaffen kann Malwine doch noch sicher irgendwo unterzubringen.
Mir wurde das Buch bereits als Kind vorgelesen und ich muss feststellen, dass es wirklich eine schöne Geschichte ist.
Ein etwas anderer Twist bezüglich des Ungeheuers von Loch Ness.
Was allerdings auffallend ist, ist, dass die Zeichnungen sehr detailliert und irgendwie nicht so kindlich wirken.
Trotzdem ist der Text nicht ganz so umfangreich.
Ohne Message bleibt das Buch süß, verliert aber etwas des Kindheits-Zaubers.
Trotzdem natürlich eine Empfehlung für jedes Kinderbuchregal.
In diesem Jahr ist es etwas ganz Besonderes - eine Kaulquappe in einem Glas. Ulli tauft sie Malwine.
Doch nach kurzer Zeit stellt sich heraus, dass Malwine gar kein Frosch wird, sondern etwas viel größeres, sodass der Platz im Haus bald nicht mehr ausreicht.
Schließlich kommt Ulli auf einen Plan, wie er es schaffen kann Malwine doch noch sicher irgendwo unterzubringen.
Mir wurde das Buch bereits als Kind vorgelesen und ich muss feststellen, dass es wirklich eine schöne Geschichte ist.
Ein etwas anderer Twist bezüglich des Ungeheuers von Loch Ness.
Was allerdings auffallend ist, ist, dass die Zeichnungen sehr detailliert und irgendwie nicht so kindlich wirken.
Trotzdem ist der Text nicht ganz so umfangreich.
Ohne Message bleibt das Buch süß, verliert aber etwas des Kindheits-Zaubers.
Trotzdem natürlich eine Empfehlung für jedes Kinderbuchregal.
November 30, 2017
This is what happens when you feed cheeseburgers to the tadpole you found in Loch Ness. His name is Alphonse and he knows how to play fetch. What will he find?
He grew so large they had to buy a parking lot and turn it into a swimming pool.
It is a lovely tale of what big surprises may come in small packages, especially those received as gifts. Another Weston Wood Studios production that transforms illustration into animation. I really appreciate the time the company took to make these such a treasure to view, and share with others.
He grew so large they had to buy a parking lot and turn it into a swimming pool.
It is a lovely tale of what big surprises may come in small packages, especially those received as gifts. Another Weston Wood Studios production that transforms illustration into animation. I really appreciate the time the company took to make these such a treasure to view, and share with others.
May 26, 2018
The colors were bright and very pretty, the kinds of illustrations that will be fun for children. The little boy is given a "tadpole." by his uncle from Scotland. He takes the tadpole to school for show and tell, and the teacher asks him to bring it back each week, so they can see it transform into a frog, which never happens. The boy loves his pet that keeps on growing, and takes it to an obedience class, that it passes at the top of his class. He does every thing he can to keep his pet, and meet it's needs. The children in his town all love his colorful pet.
October 13, 2021
Louis receives an interesting birthday present from his Scottish uncle, a tadpole! The cheeseburger loving tadpole grows very quickly, but not into a frog. Louis must find somewhere to keep his large new friend in a hilarious adventure by Steven Kellogg.
This picture book can be used in a variety of ways in an elementary classroom. It is a great introduction to animal life cycles. You could compare and contrast Alphonse with a real frog. You can make predictions and write stories about Louis's next birthday gift.
This picture book can be used in a variety of ways in an elementary classroom. It is a great introduction to animal life cycles. You could compare and contrast Alphonse with a real frog. You can make predictions and write stories about Louis's next birthday gift.
June 13, 2021
This would make a funny literary connection to a unit on tadpoles. You could have kids compare what they know about the growth of tadpoles to what happens in the book. It could also be used to talk about fiction vs nonfiction, making predictions, an intro to folktales...or just a chance to do a lot of laughing. Recommend for read aloud with K-3.
August 27, 2022
Every year Louis' uncle in Scotland sends him something special to add to his nature collection. This year he sends Louis a tadpole - which grows into a very large, very unusual creature - not at all a frog. This is an amusing story that captures the imagination and delights the eye with its detailed illustrations.
October 16, 2023
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade: K-1
I liked this book because it teaches children to never give up on something that they love. I also really like the pictures that the author uses in the story. The story has a great moral to teach students. This book also is a great resource to teach kids how to take care of pets.
Grade: K-1
I liked this book because it teaches children to never give up on something that they love. I also really like the pictures that the author uses in the story. The story has a great moral to teach students. This book also is a great resource to teach kids how to take care of pets.
January 14, 2025
This is such a cute book. Louis gets a ... tadpole? from his uncle in Scotland, but it just keeps growing and growing, eventually causing problems (and fun!) with its gigantic size. There's a cute ending. My kids enjoyed it.
I have loved Steven Kellogg's illustrations since I was a kid. There are so many fun details to look at!
I have loved Steven Kellogg's illustrations since I was a kid. There are so many fun details to look at!
April 30, 2018
I love this book, but they've "redone" the art and it looks like crap compared to my vintage original, which had that heady seventies "3-2-1 Contact" vibe. The colors are now shrill and garish and significant changes have been made. No thanks - give me the original.
November 10, 2019
Kellogg’s way of having his characters calmly accept the zaniest possibilities is always a hoot. Some very strong hints are given as to the “tadpole’s” heritage. Of course I love how Louis responsibly takes care of his pet, problem solves, and how the librarian came to the rescue!
September 14, 2020
We've this so often because it is always so funny and cool and there is a giant "tadpole" who loves to eat hamburgers (like me). His growth spurts create force some hilarious housing solutions causing the family some difficulties.
June 15, 2021
Good book by quirky author Stephen Kellogg! This one may be his best-known. The reading level is 4th grade, but it makes a great bedtime story for 1st graders. See more of his works at: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/steven-...
February 7, 2022
Re-read
I read this to the youngest member of the household. I must have been the same age when I read the very same book! The child was so delighted by the creature that they told me off when I called it the Loch Ness Monster. "It's not a monster! Just call it Loch Ness." lol
I read this to the youngest member of the household. I must have been the same age when I read the very same book! The child was so delighted by the creature that they told me off when I called it the Loch Ness Monster. "It's not a monster! Just call it Loch Ness." lol
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews