Final verdict: This is an interesting story about a young tadpole and the desire for growing older. Tad is a sweet book with colorful and whimsical illustrations that will appeal to young children. Visit a pond to look for signs of frogspawn, tadpoles or frogs. Talk about what you see – children might be able to take photos or draw pictures. Make an information book

‘Tad’ by Benji Davies Ages 5-7

A fantastic story with an important message and a wonderful protagonist. This is a book that will suit all children, particularly ones who are a little on the shorter side. It is also quite informative about growth and the wild and learning about tadpoles and how they grow and change. It has a higher word count so will suit slightly older readers, and is meant for children 4+. There is humour within the book , it reminds me of hiccups or when overcoming your fear you become brave, as the little tadpole once coming face to face with the Big Bulb swam so fast which helped her develop her features and become a frog.Tad was a very small tadpole, smaller that all of her tadsiblings. The others warned her that if she couldn’t keep up with them, she would be eaten by Big Blub, the huge nasty fish at the bottom of their pond. So Tad swam twice as hard to keep up with everyone and kept to the shallow parts of the pond. Gradually, the other tadpoles started to change, growing legs and losing their tales. But Tad still had her tail and steadily the other tadpoles disappeared. Eventually, she was the only one still left in the water, hiding from Big Blub. Then one day, Big Blub appeared. Now Tad had one choice, leap out of the water or be eaten! Benji Davies is an illustrator and animation director. From a young age he was often to be found painting at the kitchen table, a scene which can still be seen to this day. Benji studied animation at university, and has since worked on a diverse array of projects, from picture books and animated short films to music videos, commercials and title sequences. His books have been co-editioned in many languages and countries around the world. The Storm Whale is his first self-penned picture book. He lives in London with his wife Nina. Davies has written a deep and marvelous picture book about being a late bloomer and then having change thrust upon you. Tad faces her challenges with lots of grit and determination, but eventually that isn’t quite enough as she is left behind by the others. Still, it is her courage that saves her in the end, allowing her to figure out what happened to her siblings after all. He has worked on a huge range of subjects and platforms, with clients as diverse as such Waterstone’s, Sainsbury’s and Oxfam, and in countries as different as India and Australia. He’s illustrated for several major publishers and is pleased to be working on Nosy Crow’s start-up list. Titles include: Th e Storm Whale The Storm Whale in Winter Grandma Bird Grandad’s Island The Grotlyn

Tad – HarperCollins Publishers UK

Benji Davies is the illustrator of the Bizzy Bear books, Bizzy Bear: Let’s Go and Play and Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm. As a child, Benji knew that when he grew up he either wanted to make films or draw pictures in books. He is still working out which he likes best, and currently divides his time between illustrating children’s books and directing animation. A big story about a tiny tadpole - about growing up, branching out, and taking a leap into life. From the award-winning author and illustrator of The Storm Whale and Granddad's Island, and the perfect story for everyone who's ever grown up, or still has a way to go... About This Edition ISBN: Or is everyone else going somewhere else; somewhere better? And if so, will Tad ever get there too?The book shows clear imagery of the sea , here young readers can describe the ocean , and lots of questioning can take place in what other creatures live in the sea .Readers can shar their experiences of the sea, what they have seen or read in the past . Soon, all her tadsiblings outgrow the nest and swim to other parts of the pond, leaving poor Tad by her lonesome. That’s until … Big Blub shows up!