We are the wibbly! A tadpole's tail

PreS-Gr 2--In an engrossing stream of facts through a charming narrative lens, a reluctant tadpole learns that growing up can be a lot of work. Life in the Wibbly is peaceful, until it's not, with changes crashing in. One moment, a tadpole is floating happily with their egg friends, and the next, everything is happening: tails appear, legs sprout, and suddenly, air-swimming is a thing. But what if a tadpole is not ready? Tagholm's lively, childlike narration perfectly captures the emotional roller coaster of metamorphosis, as the reluctant tadpole watches their friends transform at different speeds while cycling through curiosity, frustration, jealousy, and eventual triumph. The text's playful, invented vocabulary ("spiked hunger-muncher") and bouncy repetition ("OH MY CRIKEYS!") create a delightful read-aloud rhythm, while the quirky font choice reflects the book's spontaneous energy. Ink, mixed media, and digital illustrations brim with movement and humor. The pond's murky greens and blues provide a lush backdrop for the protagonist, whose exaggerated expressions channel the book's wry tone. Composition shifts, from quiet floating scenes to frantic bursts of movement, mirror the protagonist's changing emotions. The frogs are cartoonish yet scientifically accurate, reinforcing the book's underlying message: everyone develops at their own pace. A closing spread clearly outlines the real frog life cycle, grounding the story's silliness in fact. This is a strong choice for early STEM collections and for any child navigating their own big changes. VERDICT A quirky, kinetic look at transformation, blending humor, heart, and science. A first purchase for story hours and picture book nonfiction collections.--Rose Garrett

Follow a tadpole through its transformation into a frog, a process sometimes accompanied by big feelings. Like the adage says, life comes at you fast. One minute you're relaxing in the "jelly-like" Wibbly (frogspawn), then "oh my crikeys!," you're a tadpole with a "tail-thing." This U.K. import smoothly and clearly details the stages between tadpole and frog, from gaining front and back legs to losing one's tail and breathing air. Our protagonist evades the "hunger-muncher" fish and "furry danger-monster" cat, before the tale ends with older, wiser frogs reminiscing, "Do you remember whenwewere the Wibbly?" While some life cycle books feel dry, this one is enlivened by humor and the modest but compelling narrative, which follows a distinctive pink-cheeked tadpole who's decidedly ambivalent about this whole metamorphosis business. Our hero experiences jealousy when fellow tadpoles easily learn "water-flying" and apprehension when the others mature more quickly; it's a relatable reminder that frogs (and people!) grow at their own pace. Frequent exclamation points propel the springy narrative, and sprinkles of quirky invented words and unconventional grammar feel very froglike indeed. Some might look askance at the "fasterest" frogs eating "juicable dinners," but it's definitely evocative language. Splashy illustrations in ink, mixed-media, and Photoshop leap with energy, while the gently rounded, big-eyed frogs are cute yet still accurately rendered. A page of backmatter nicely summarizes the frog's life cycle. A hopping good book perfect for budding biologists.(Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.