Title: Tadpole's Promise
Author: Jenna Willis
Illistrator: Tony Ross
Age Group: 4th grade
Summary: This is a delightful story about a tadpole and a caterpillar that meet by the water. They fall in love, however the caterpillar begs the tadpole to never change. The first time they meet the tadpole has grown legs, which the caterpillar does not like. the second time they meet the frog has grown arms, which the caterpillar does not like. The caterpillar gives the tadpole one more chance to stay the same: her "shiny black pearl", however when they meet a third time, the tadpole has lost his tale. The caterpillar gets upset and cries herself to slee. The next time they meet the caterpillar is a butterfly and the tadpole is a frog. When the butterfly tries to find the tadpole to forgive him, the frog ends up eating the butterfly, and waiting for his "beautiful rainbow" (caterpillar) to come back.
I really enjoyed reading this story. The illistrations are wonderful. The book is illistrated in a way that the top page is the earth and sky and the bottom page is the pond. There is even a little story about more tadpoles being chased by a fish at the bottom of the pond illistration that is never talked about in the text. I think the twist at the end of the story, with the frog eating the butterfly, is perfect. We are so caught up in this beautiful love story of a caterpillar and tadpole that we think they are going to end up together forever, but they don't, and it's almost grousum what happens.
I think this would be a great story to use to lead into a 4th grade science unit on metamorphis. In all science classes they talk about tadpoles changing into frogs and caterpillars changing into butterflies. I think this would be a perfect attention getter to get the students engaged in this topic.
I agree and disagree with your opinion of the book. The book's definitely targeted for the older children, such as fourth grade. I feel this way because it is a very cruel book. How can someone say, "Promise to never change." The emotions and feelings coming across in the book are, in my opinion, negative. BUT. You make a wonderful point of how this would work great in a science class that is discussing metamorphism. And i agree with you on that note.
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