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

"Vivid, water-spotted illustrations. . . ."— The New York Times
 
★ "An enticingly rich and thoughtful creation. . . . Tadpoles is a reassuring reminder that change can bring positive new developments and that parental love remains constant, even amid great upheaval."—BookPage, Starred Review

★ "[A] thoughtful stream-of-consciousness outing from James. . . . Multimedia art’s spattered, stroked textures convey the feel of pages left out in a storm in James’s portrait of transition, throughout which the setting and its fluctuating features prove quiet symbols of seasonal and personal transformation. . . ."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"James’s mixed-media illustrations in gouache, acrylics, and collage show both the factual and emotional parts of the text."—The Horn Book

"A tale of father-child bonding full of visual appeal. . . ."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fun to read either alone or aloud. . . ."—Booklist