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Title: The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg ISBN: 0-8037-2788-7 Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers Pub. Date: 26 August, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (9 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A monster mash
Comment: Everyone in my generation has (or should have) a favorite Steven Kellogg book. I think the kind of Kellogg book you love says a lot about the kind of person you are. For example, I'd probably have my doubts about being stuck in an elevator with anyone who professes a love for Kellogg's "How Much is a Million" books. And as for the person who gravitates towards the "Pinkerton" series, that's the kind of human being I'd be comfortable sharing a cup of cocoa with. Now myself, I'm torn. The vote really falls between Kellogg's fascinating "Island of the Skog" and "The Mysterious Tadpole". Both books are fabulous forgotten classics. But "The Mysterious Tadpole" is better known and perhaps deservedly so.
Louis has just had a birthday, and his eccentric Uncle McAlister has sent him the best present ever. A small lovable tadpole arrives in the mail, and Louis sets about making his new pet at home. Contrary to expectations, however, the tadpole (named, curiously, Alphonse) grows by leaps and bounds. When Louis's parents protest that Alphonse is too large to keep in the home, Louis improvises by placing his pet in the Junior High's swimming pool. But when even that clever plan goes awry, it's up to Louise and the local librarian Miss Seevers to concoct a plan to keep Alphonse happy and free.
Perhaps it was this book, read to me countless times in my youth, that is responsible for me becoming the librarian I am today. Miss Seevers isn't your frumpy hair in a bun, glasses on her nose, shushing librarian either. She's a smart witty woman who helps Louis to save the day. In fact all the characters in this book are imbued with a certain amount of pep and verve. Louis is just the kind of kid who wants to keep his tadpole/loch ness monster safe. And Alphonse, though he never says a word, is a child's ideal pet. Imagine it. A big friendly adorable brown-eyed monster that would like nothing more than to eat some cheeseburgers, romp, and play fetch. As for the story itself, it's got it all. A funny plot, a memorable solution, and a sly surprise ending with a whole different story suggested. The book is also filled with Kellogg's wry understatements. In this book, Louis's teacher Mrs. Shelbert has asked him to bring Alphonse in continually so that the class could see how a tadpole becomes a frog. Soon enough Alphonse is romping around the room, roughly five children on his back and more clammering to climb aboard, paper airplanes flying, and desks askew. As a disapproving teacher looks on, the text merely says, "One day Mrs. Shelbert decided that Alphonse was not turning into an ordinary frog. She asked Louis to stop bringing him to school". Understatement at its finest.
Kellogg's illustrations really give this book the extra little nudge it needed to cross over from "merely good" to "fantastic". Alphonse, for one, could not be cuter. Those big brown puppy dog eyes would inspire you to buy him a million hamburgers, if you could. Kellogg is also adept at filling each scene in the book with tiny amusing details. For example, when Louis smuggles Alphonse into the Junior High, you can see the name of the school is the "Jesse James Junior High School". Two masked and armed statues hold their guns on either side of the entrance. At another point, Louis thinks horribly of his pet being placed in a zoo, while a dreaming Alphonse pictures himself as tiny next to the largest cheeseburger in the world. The book is filled with delights such as these. My personal favorite is perhaps the most controversial section of the book. When Miss Seevers proposes locating some sunken pirate treasure sunk in the city's harbor, there is an image of Miss Seevers and Louis imagining the sinking of the ship. A huge ship (named the Poison Prune) sinks in the harbor, filled with nasty evil pirates. The cause of the sinkage? A single Native American, smiling, shoots arrows into the hull. I love it. The Native American is obviously in command of the situation while the pirates, for all their guns and nasty looks, are bound for the briny deep. It's a great moment, though I've no doubt there's the possibility that people might find the scene offensive. Frankly, it's not, but you'll just have to take my word on this one until you read the book yourself.
So there you have it. One of the world's best books written by one of the world's best author/illustrators and virtually forgotten today. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, do so immediately. It's a fine piece of well wrought literature, enough to make you wish there had been a sequel. If this book had been written today, I've no doubt that there would have been. As it stands, however, this book is the one and only. And it's well worth any price you could pay.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Tadpole which didn't become a frog!
Comment: This story was a favorite of mine as a child, and now I have the oppourtunity to read it to my own kids.
Louis recives a tadpole in a jar for his birthday one year from his eccentric uncle in Scotland, who happens to live near Loch Ness. Louis named his tadpole Alphonse, fed him cheeseburgers, taught him to fetch, do other tricks, and Alphonse becomes a great pet. However, he has grown too big for the apartment in which Louis and his parents live and Louis must think of something to help Alphonse have a place to live or he'll have to go to the zoo!
With the help of the local librarian, and Alphonse, Louis comes up with a plan to raise money to buy the parking lot near his building for a big swiming pool for Alphonse, and all the neighborhood kids to swim and play in.
A happy ending, just in time for Louis's next birthday, and another mysterious present from Uncle McAlister! Great for kids ages four to seven.
Rating: 5
Summary: Happy Birthday, Alphonse.....
Comment: Louis' Uncle McAllister lives in Scotland and every year sends Louis the best birthday present. And this year was no different, a tadpole, Louis names Alphonse. But it soon becomes apparent that Alphonse is not your normal, everyday tadpole and definitely not turning into a frog. He soon outgrows his jar, then the kitchen sink, and bathtub. Louis sneaks him into the school swimming pool during summer vacation, and that works out just fine until fall when school opens. In a panic Louis consults Miss Seevers, the librarian. Librarians always have all the answers, and Miss Seevers doesn't let him down. With a phone call to Scotland, a little research, and a lot of ingenuity, Louis and Miss Severs find a clever solution and happily-ever-after ending to their problem..... First published twenty-five years ago, Steven Kellogg's creative classic, The Mysterious Tadpole, is as fresh and entertaining today as it was back in 1977. Mr Kellogg has given his new illustrations a bold and bright facelift, and tweaked the text a bit, but the engaging and fun-filled story with its hilarious twist at the end, is still sure to capture the imagination and warm your heart. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, The Mysterious Tadpole is a timeless treasure to share with friends and family now, and future generations in the years to come.
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Title: Can I Keep Him? by Steven Kellogg, Kellog Steven, Sandra Speidel ISBN: 014054867X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: December, 1992 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg ISBN: 0140546499 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: March, 1993 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Pinkerton, Behave! (Picture Puffins) by Steven Kellogg ISBN: 0142300071 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: March, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: A Rose for Pinkerton by Steven Kellogg ISBN: 0142300098 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: March, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Prehistoric Pinkerton (Picture Puffins) by Steven Kellogg ISBN: 014230008X Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: March, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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