One Tiny Treefrog: A Countdown to Survival Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy (read via an online reader copy; due mid-late September 2024).
This book is about the life cycle of a tree frog as well as also being a counting book. Starting with the number 10 and going down to zero, we follow a tree frog’s life from eggs to tadpole to adult. We also see the rainforest and the animals in it. The reason for the countdown happening is a bit on the darker side, but as it is a familiar format that is being promoted first (the reverse counting), the child will be fine with it. This adaptability is mostly shown with the end notes. The story itself is simple but it becomes more detailed with the end pages. This allows the book to grow with the child and gives the information they are ready for at the right time.
The fact there is realism but presented at an age appropriate level is perhaps my favorite part of things. Even I learned a few things (mostly in the back notes, but with the main part too). There are interesting illustrations that are sweet and colorful (the richness of the forest comes alive) but they are minimalistic, as well. Yet, they also have enough detail to allow focus on the subject (frogs and counting) but be engaging.
One point made at the end was that many books about nature do not mention or show human interaction, making things seem isolated. But even in the Costa Rican jungle, and even though it is isolated, human influences are present. The author and illustrator mention l they added hints of this, but I personally only saw one image of human civilization, but that addition was well paced.
