Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Mysterious Tadpole

The Mysterious Tadpole
Steven Kellogg ~ Dial, 1977


While I still have a love/hate relationship with all things Kellogg, my son absolutely adores him. His current Kellogg-drawn favorite is The Day the Goose Got Loose (that dream sequence with the geese flying through the sky sends the boy into convulsions of delight) though I'm partial to this sweet story of the Loch Ness variety... when Louis is gifted a tadpole for his birthday from his uncle who lives in Scotland, he takes it to show-and-tell..."Class, this is a tadpole," said Mrs. Shelbert. She asked Louis to bring it back often so they could all watch it become a frog. Louis named the tadpole Alphonse. Every day Alphonse ate several cheeseburgers. Louis found that he was eager to learn. When Alphonse became too big for his jar, Louise moved him to the sink. After Alphonse outgrew the sink, Louis's parents agreed to let him use the bathtub. One day Mrs. Shelbert decided that Alphonse was not turning into an ordinary frog. She asked Louis to stop bringing him to school.Not unlike A Fish Out of Water, soon Alphonse is in dire need of someplace to live. Louis enlists the help of (who else!?!) the local librarian who guesses the creature's true origin, and together they hatch a plan to score some sunken pirate booty to pay for a private swimming pool for Alphonse. To say that the creature is beyond cute is an understatement, and the well of love the little boy shows toward it is heartwarming to say the least. Magic, adventure and sweetness, the perfect combination for wee little reader who wants it all.(I thrifted this autographed copy, but apparently you can get your own personalized Kellogg doodle through The Essex Inn Bookstore.)

Also by:
You Ought To See Herbert's House

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5 comments:

  1. This one is at the library. We love Steven Kellogg. His books are so animated. What do you hate (such a strong word) about him?

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  2. I don't hate him... i was just using love/hate in the cliche form.... hyperbole is kinda my thing... he's one of those illustrators that at first blush I didn't like, but have slowly grown to love. stylistically, his stuff isn't like what i usually seek out... but after finding and reading so many of his books it is hard to deny his talent and appeal...

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  3. Probably my favorite Kellogg book... once again, due to the Weston Woods video :P

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  4. Stevn Kellogg's drawings warm my heart. As a young boy, I got lost in "Much Bigger Than Martin" over and over (I had an older brother).

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  5. So many memories tied to THIS book for me. For years I’ve been trying to remember the name of it and just happened upon this site. The overwhelming feeling of joy that rushed throughout my body when I saw the cover of the book brought so many amazing childhood memories back. I LOVE this book!

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