Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum

Teeny Tiny Toady 
by Jill Esbaum
Published 2016
Sterling Children's Books
Fiction
40 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

When a giant hand scoops up her mama and puts her in a pail, a terrified tiny toad named Teeny hops faster than she ever did in her life. "Mama’s stuck inside a bucket! Help me get her out!” she begs her big, clumsy brothers. “Don’t you worry, kid. We’ll save her!” they promise, bumbling and stumbling and jumbling out the door. But as the boys rush headlong to the rescue, pushing their little sister aside, it becomes clear: brawn isn't always better than brains—and the smallest of the family may just be the smartest one of all.  Written in lilting verse.

My Thoughts

Everybody loves an underdog. Teeny is the youngest sister of a whole bunch of big brothers. When all of her brothers fall into the bucket with their mother, Teeny is left alone to save them. Stories like this one where the "little guys" prove their worth by doing heroic things are not uncommon. What I liked about Teeny's story is that she was able to use her brain to solve the problem and not her size. 

The author uses font size and color to highlight vocabulary and for emphasis. Young readers will be exposed to some words that may be unfamiliar such as: huddle, fluttered, eventually and peered. 

The toad family have adorable faces and eyes that seem to have a slight anime quality that I think kids will enjoy. Dark and light background colors are effectively used depict different moods. 

Teeny's story of determination and problem solving would be great for ages 3-7. 

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