“Sometimes the biggest stories have the smallest beginnings”

I think I loved this book the moment I picked it up from the library. They say don’t judge a book by its cover. But I judged.

And I was right.

Even the tagline (quoted above) is the best and really pulls you into the story. The colours are bright and wonderful and grab your attention straight away. Then you notice the little froggy sitting on a leaf, looking out into the distance, thinking about life. I was so in.

The story follows a little tadpole, who is a just a bit littler than all the other tadpoles. She isn’t as fast a swimmer and falls behind the rest of her tadbrothers and tadsisters.

It is a really sweet story that has a brilliant message that is actually super important and one that every child (and adult) needs to learn – you don’t have to be the biggest and the best at something.

The character of Tad is fantastic. She is resilient and brave and I really adored her. She never once felt sorry for herself for being small and is actually a great role model – for a tadpole… In a picture book with minimal words…

Benji Davies has outdone himself in his story telling. Bravo, Benji. Bravo.

Also the illustrations are just fantastic. The colours and so bright and vivid they will grab any child’s attention. The watery feel of the background is awesome and really gives the impression of being deep in a pond. The last page is my absolute favourite, but I couldn’t really take a picture without ruining the ending. So you will just have to get it for yourself!

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+. But as always, will have appeal for younger ones with the bright colours and adorable characters.

Super impressive! Highly recommend.

For more from this author illustrator, check out his website here.

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Title: Tad

Author/Illustrator: Benji Davies

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019

Ages: 4+

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