A TOAD FOR TUESDAY

by Russell E. Erickson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 19, 1974

There are these two toads, Warton and Morton. Even though they're snowbound for the winter, Warton wants to take his Aunt Toolia a box of Morton's special beetle brittle, so he builds a pair of skis and starts off. In the middle of the wooded valley Warton is captured by an owl who plans to save him for a special birthday dinner, but the innately civilized Warton ingratiates himself with evening teas and much house tidying. And even when he is rescued by a platoon of skiing mice, he stops to save George, the owl, from a fox and learns that his captor had a change of heart and was out looking for some nice juniper berry tea. Erickson approaches each new fantastic turn of events with open-eyed wonder (""Warton was speechless. Never had he seen so many mice at one time, and all on skis""), and Di Fiori's careful, detailed drawings take the animals' unusual domestic situations in stride. Warton's winning ways may play havoc with the food chain, but this neat, humane toad, dressed in his rundown houseslippers and enjoying Morton's tasty ant egg sandwiches, is thoroughly lovable -- and full of surprises.

Pub Date: Aug. 19, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1974

Categories: FICTION