One tiny treefrog A countdown to survival

Piedra and Joy provide a matter-of-fact primer on a tree frog's life cycle, emphasizing the slim odds of survival faced by tadpoles maturing into adults. Luminous emerald pages open as "Ten tiny tadpoles grow in their eggs." Their number soon begins to dwindle as first nine "wiggle free" and then only eight "plunge into a watery new home," where new threats await. As the group's number shrinks, labeled digital renderings feature a range of predators that seem to be taking a toll on them, including the social wasp, wolf cichlid, and carmine skimmer. When only "two nimble tadpoles" remain, a spectacled caiman looks on from the depths and makes a sudden "SNAP" that leaves a lone "resilient" survivor: "Zero tiny tadpoles./ One tiny treefrog." Simple, spare text is balanced by the countdown's drama, and lengthy back matter rounds out the book's educational aspects. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)

Beginning with 10 tadpoles in egg form, Piedra and Joy offer an honest look at the odds of becoming a red-eyed treefrog. The countdown begins with an image of a large leaf. Sensitive children may be a little perturbed as each page turn announces a dwindling number of metamorphosing siblings. Many become lunch for various critters, like the wolf cichlid. The scientific names of the animals accompany the illustrations, offering a chance for children to sound out new words. Adults should help kids talk through the tough truth about the low likelihood of survival for tadpoles; they'll also appreciate the wealth of information about the Costa Rican ecosystem to comb through in the backmatter, which dissects the images and sequences on each spread in long prose. The narrative portion is spare, with plenty of action words like plunge and peek along with onomatopoeia for an engaging read-aloud. The hopeful treefrogs are lightly anthropomorphized as they grow, though they don't talk or have distinct personalities. Still, attachment and hope for the treefrogs will form. Greens, blues, and yellows dominate the absorbing, attractive illustrations; it's easy to jump for this one. (This book was reviewed digitally; this review was updated for accuracy.) A winning combination of information and entertainment. (Informational picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.