Gummytoes

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria.

Gummytoes is a tree frog who lives quite contentedly in his own world,
with its soft breeze, “the scent of damp grass, and a deep orange
sun.” He is happy, that is, until he realizes no one adores him. After
seeing two children admire a bright robin, Gummytoes croaks, “I would
like to be admired.”

The young frog seeks the attention of the children and is successful.
They scoop him up and put him in their terrarium. His previous contented
life soon fades as he deals with old socks, jammy spoons, and curious
children banging on the glass of his airless new home. After sliding
into a brief depression, Gummytoes plans and executes a successful
escape. The book concludes with a short, very educational biology lesson
about the grey tree frog.

Without being overtly didactic, the story emphasizes the value of
keeping nature in its natural state, and of appreciating what you have.
Each page is beautifully illustrated in bold, colourful, cartoonlike
drawings from the viewpoint of the frog. The story itself is told quite
simply from Gummytoes’s perspective.

Author/illustrator Sean Cassidy won the Mr. Christie’s Book Award in
2000 for The Chicken Cat. Young children will undoubtedly enjoy
Gummytoes, his delightful story about big wishes and even bigger
consequences. Highly recommended.