Natterjack Toad, dressed in a yellow shirt, red and yellow-striped shorts, and carrying a picnic basket, only wants to find the perfect place to eat his favorite snack: “CHOCOLATE-CHUNK CRUNCHY-MUNCH COOKIES.” However, their loud crunch will alert his whereabouts to predators so he has to keep moving to a different location from the pond, to the meadow, to the forest. When he ignores the warning and makes a mighty crunch that alerts the wild hog, he saves himself (and the mole and the vole) by giving up his package of cookies. There is a happy ending, but I won’t spoil it for you.

This humorous book is a delightful readaloud. The illustrations are large and bold and add to the silliness of the story. Three insect pals (a firefly, a dragonfly, and a beret-wearing worm) are fun to spot on the pages

I never heard the word “natterjack” before (Isn’t it delightful?!) so I looked it up. A natterjack toad is a small European toad which has a bright yellow stripe down its back. The author lives in England.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Nominated for Cream of the Crop