Natterjack Toad Makes a Mighty Crunch
by Sean Taylor; illus. by Kathryn Durst
Preschool, Primary    Candlewick    40 pp.
3/25    9781536238938    $17.99
e-book ed.  9781536249897    $17.99

Loud colors, inflated shapes, and animated details heighten the silliness of this action-packed story full of snacks and predators. It begins peacefully: “Natterjack Toad is smiling. He is happy to be alive! The sky is blue. The water sparkles with pleasure.” Natterjack Toad is about to indulge in his package of “CHOCOLATE-CHUNK CRUNCHY-MUNCH COOKIES” when a great blue heron appears. Not wanting to become a snack himself, Natterjack Toad hurries away quietly. Every time he thinks he has found a safe spot to enjoy his noisy treat, he encounters a new enemy. A beret-wearing worm, a firefly, and a dragonfly keep things amusing between disruptions, and even the more threatening parts of the story are rendered in the art with exaggerated comedy. After moving two times, Natterjack Toad decides he can wait no longer for his crunchy snack—despite warnings of a nearby forest hog from a “worried little mole” and a “scared-looking vole.” One noisy bite does indeed attract an enormous forest hog who, looming over all the other characters, overtakes the double-page spread. Natterjack Toad has to act quickly to save himself—with some help from his friends. Ultimately his reluctant sacrifice is rewarded, closing this fast-paced, entertaining read-aloud with cookies for everyone.

From the ">May/June 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.