This was the first book I read in this series and it remains my favorite. Bufo the toad is one of my favorite characters ever. I love him. ( )

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Replaced by better copy, Saline sale, 2006-10 ( )

A well crafted book, easy to read and fun. Very satisfying. The theme of beauty works nicely. The fantasy elements are limited and not explored completely, except for the wonderful toad. Winner of the California Young Readers Medal and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award. ( )

This book is about a plain girl named Jennifer Murdley who buys a magical talking toad from a mysterious vanishing magic store. The toad, named Bufo, cannot hold his tongue and before Jennifer knows it, she is in a big mess of trouble. Bufo makes the mistake of kissing one of Jennifer’s classmates unaware that if the change lasts more than 10 hours it is permanent. While alternating being toad and human, Jennifer discovers that a beautiful witch is after Bufo. Bufo reveals that the witch is essentially his mother and she is seeking the jewel imbedded in his forehead so that she can have “perfect happiness”. In the end, the witch is defeated and Bufo is safe.

I hadn’t read this book since the 3rd grade so it was very different reading it as an adult. I thought the story line was very clever and the details were vivid enough to get lost in. I also enjoyed the full-page illustrations scattered throughout the book. The theme of the book was good. I liked the idea that being a beautiful person on the inside will always be better than just being beautiful on the outside. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. The class can do a study on the lifecycle of the toad or the frog. They can do research and write reports to present to the class. If the teacher is able to get ahold of some tadpoles to bring to school, the class can watch as the tadpole metamorphoses.
2. At the end of the story, Jennifer is given 2 rats by the man in the magic shop to look after. The class can write some stories predicting what will happen next. They can write their predictions in the form of a book and make illustrations to go with their stories. The teacher can bind them and put them in the book area. ( )