Figure 1: Duckweed

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Figure 2: Eelgrass


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Figure 3: Pondweed

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Figure 4: Waterweed

REVIEWS FOR POLLIWOG

"Engagingly written and illustrated by Tammy Carter Bronson, Polliwog is a bilingual English/Spanish picture book for young readers about the remarkable transformation of a polliwog into her new, adult life as a frog. Scientific facts and soft-toned color illustrations fill this most enjoyable read, about an animal growing up and learning to adapt to a new environment, new challenges, and new foods. Polliwog is a welcome and informatively entertaining addition to family, school and community library picture book and/or wildlife collections."
 -The Midwest Book Review, Childrens Bookwatch
 Vol. 14, No. 1, January 2004
 
"Tammy Bronson Carter's Polliwog appeals to every grade level. Her sound science background provides authenticity to the "life lessons" that are evident in the natural world around us. The students found the contrast of black and white/color in the illustrations to be extremely effective in understanding the underlying meaning of the story. From kindergarten to sixth grade, the students make connections and are inspired."
 -Martha Jane Weber, Ph. D.
 Literacy Specialist

"Polliwog is an outstanding book, easy to read, and great illustrations. The entire story was easy to follow, and the children I read it to were just mesmerized by the changes that took place with the frog in front of their eyes. The facts in the back of the book are very relevant to teachers to help children understand the process."
 -Randall Kincaid, Former President
 Tennessee Reading Association

FUN FACTS: FROGS

Frogs are on every continent except Antarctica.

The largest frog in the world is the Goliath frog which lives in West Africa. It measures one foot in length and can weigh up to six pounds!

The smallest frog in the world is a Cuban tree frog. It is 1/2 inches long.

The American Bullfrog remains a tadpole for at least two years before it begins to turn into a frog.

Did you know a frog's bulging eyes help it swallow food? The eyeballs sink inward and press against the tongue to push the food down. The frog's eyes bulge out so far that they can see 360 degrees around their head.

In some species of frogs you can tell the male from the female by the size of their eardrum (a round circle just behind each eye). Females have small eardrums (as large as or smaller than their eye) while males have eardrums so large they are much bigger than their eye.

FUN FACTS: PONDS

In ponds, duckweed and lily pads float on the surface of the water. Eelgrass, pondweed, and waterweed are rooted in the soil at the bottom of the pond. (see Figures 1-4, left sidebar). Tadpoles hide behind these plants to avoid predators. They also eat the soft tissue of these plants and the algae that grows on them.

The Great Diving Beetle
(~ 1 1/2 inches long)


or WATER TIGER

has long thin feelers or antennae that help identify them. Water Tigers usually fly around the pond at night, and they hunt underwater for food. They eat tadpoles and small fish. Water Tigers dive to the bottom of the pond where they hang onto plants or stones. If they let go, they will float back to the surface because they have air bubbles trapped under their wings. They breathe underwater by absorbing air from the bubbles under their wings through tiny holes in their body called spiracles.

The Great Pond Snail
(Shell= 2 1/2 inches long)

Tammy Carter Bronson's third book,
Polliwog, was released April 2, 2004.
International Children's Book Day (April 2)
National Frog Month (April)

POLLIWOG was a highlighted title January 2004
at www.independentpublisher.com.

Click on ILLUSTRATIONS 
to learn more about the
art in POLLIWOG.

"Polliwog is an excellent book for classroom
use. Most students are afraid of change at
some point, but once the change happens
we realize that everything is fine, if not
better, just like Polliwog. Great idea putting
English and Spanish on the same page.
This will be great in helping the ESL
(English Second Language) students fill
more a part of the story. The frog and
tadpole facts at the end of the story are
great teacher resources."
 
-Tonja O'Dell, Teacher
  Pigeon Forge Primary School
 Pigeon Forge, TN

POLLIWOG Teacher's Guide

SYNOPSIS

Polliwog doesnt want her life to change, but her transformation forces her to enter an unknown world outside the pond where she embraces her new life as a frog.

THEMES

The dominant theme is FEAR of change. Polliwog is afraid to leave her home. She is afraid to breathe air. She is afraid she will never see Perch again. But Polliwog is BRAVE. She leaves the water and accepts her new life outside the pond. She learns that her fear was unnecessary. Polliwog does see Perch again. Now she will try to TEACH other tadpoles that they have nothing to fear!

CHARACTERS

POLLIWOG is the HERO character. The hero is the main character. PERCH is the TEACHER character. A teacher is a mentor to the hero. The teacher is a wise and positive figure who aids or trains the hero on their journey. Not every story will have a teacher (for example, The Ugly Duckling). The difference between a teacher and helper is the teacher contributes more to the heros understanding of their journey or goal. The FROGS are HELPER characters. Helpers assist the hero on their journey and help the hero achieve their goal. TROUBLEMAKERS are opposed to the heros goal, or they are an obstacle for the Hero to overcome. In this story Polliwog thinks the frogs are Troublemakers, but they are trying to play with her and help her. They know she is a frog, too! The frogs are not Troublemakers. They are Helpers.
 

For the AR (Accelerated Reader) test, send us an e-mail at books@bookaroos.com.