As the narrator of this picture book describes the field near his school, a supplementary story about his family life plays out in the art. The boy begins with frogs. “A kid in my class says she saw a two-headed frog.” It was probably just two frogs, though, according to his dad. His dad has also told him about the ephemeral ponds in the field. The boy reports on the more interesting, abandoned junk he has discovered there: a waterlogged piano, a rusted bicycle, an empty silo where he once “yelled every single swear word” he knew, angry that his dad moved out. “I guess I was worried that he wouldn’t love me anymore, but my dad says that some things never change.” It’s an unequivocal moment that expresses the heart of this distinctly childlike story. The boy goes on to share what he knows about frogs while the illustrations show him with his dad (both white), decked out in rain gear, carefully fishing tadpoles out of a pond for closer examination before letting them go. The text remains focused on tadpoles while the illustrations show the two walking. Outside a house, his dad embraces the boy before the boy goes inside, where his mother waits to greet him. The meandering flow of the narrative is almost stream-of-consciousness, while the loose, boldly colored illustrations illuminate the father’s presence in his son’s thoughts and life. (Ages 5-8)

One rainy morning, a father and son bond over a walk through a field full of freshly formed ponds teeming with tadpoles.

In this tender reflection on the fleeting rhythms of the natural world and the enduring love of family, a boy and his father spend a morning exploring an ephemeral pond, a delicate nursery formed by rainfall, perfect for sheltering tadpoles from predators as they grow. The boy’s father doesn’t live with him anymore, and the ponds may only be temporary, but together they make memories that just might last a lifetime.

With Tadpoles, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winning author and illustrator Matt James draws from his own memories as a parent and as a child to tell a wistful story that will be instantly recognizable to any families sharing memories of exploring together. For an extra treat, additional material at the back of the book enthusiastically outlines the habitats and life cycles that make up these special amphibian spaces.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection