Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #272673 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-21
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .12" h x 9.00" w x 11.40" l, .42 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 40 pages

From Amazon.com
Steven Kellogg's award-winning picture book The Mysterious Tadpole, first published in 1977, is back with wonderful new illustrations and additional "nuances of character, sequence, and plot" in this fabulous 25th-anniversary edition. The story begins when Uncle McAllister brings a "wee bit of Scotland"--a tadpole to be precise--to Louis for his birthday. Delighted, Louis names him Alphonse and brings him to school for show-and-tell. A diet of cheeseburgers allows the creature to grow by leaps and bounds, and he soon outgrows his jar, the kitchen sink, and the bathtub. Finally, when the high school swim team learns of Alphonse's presence in their pool the hard way, Uncle McAllister gets a call: "'Oh, the wee tadpole?' he said. 'Why, he came from the lake nearby. It's the one folks call Loch Ness.'" Louis's ingenuity (he takes on a paper route to pay for his pet's burgers, and that of his friend the librarian (she thinks they can use the aquatic Alphonse to find pirate treasure and use the money to build him his own swimming pool) are heartwarming and hilarious. Children who are attached to a pet will completely relate to Louis's devotion to his unusual new friend. Kellogg's luminous illustrations of the ever-expanding monster and bewildered townspeople are expressive, often hysterical, and full of tiny details that demand many rereadings. A treat! (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly
Several reissued titles will be welcomed by fans of their celebrated authors and artists. Louis gets the gift that keeps on giving or growing, rather in The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg. The story about a boy and his burgeoning birthday present returns in a 25th-anniversary edition featuring revised text and full-color illustrations. (Aug.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-Louis receives a little tadpole as a birthday gift from his uncle McAllister. Affectionately named Alphonse, the tadpole comes from Scotland and has an appetite for cheeseburgers. Is it his diet that makes him grow the way he does? Or something more mysterious? Louis must find a way to accommodate his enormous pet, which he does with the help of his friend Ms. Seevers, the librarian. This amusing and imaginative story written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The special edition book (Penguin, 2002) includes new illustrations by Kellogg. Kevin Free superbly narrates the audio version of the new edition, using amusing voices for the characters and a proper Scottish accent for Uncle McAllister. One side of the cassette includes page-turn signals and the other is straight narration. Since the text relies heavily on the illustrations, listeners must have the book available. -April Mazza, Wayland Free Public Library, MA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.