Gem

K-Gr 2—Hobbie puts her illustrating skill to good use in this nearly wordless book. Letters between a grandmother and her granddaughter bookend the art. Gram explains that she has written this tale about a toad's life based on the one they found in the garden. Hope's letter thanks her grandmother for the story. The bulk of the book is a pictorial biography of Gem, the toad, beginning at its emergence from hibernation to its arrival in the garden. In between, it manages to defy death by bird and car, have some babies (completely innocuously), and do a lot of hopping. Hobbie's watercolor with pen-and-ink illustrations are wonderful. The toad is depicted realistically while still imbued with personality and comic expressions, making it an engaging character. Children will not only follow its trials and tribulations, but also get completely involved in its survival. Pair this lovely book with David Wiesner's Tuesday (Clarion, 1991) for a nearly wordless toad-a-riffic time.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH