As this delightful picture book opens, Fox is bored of his usual meal of plain old toad, so he turns to a cookbook of toad recipes for inspiration. Having caught a sackful of small, young toads as recommended, Fox is deciding on a recipe when he is startled by the appearance of the mother of these small “toadlets,” who is horrified to discover that Fox is planning to eat her babies. “Stop!” she commands him, to no avail. Mamma Toad frantically tries everything in her power to save her offspring, even offering herself for Fox to eat. But nothing works. Until she suggests preparing her own delicious “secret” recipe for Fox instead¬ --- Toad-in-the-Hole. (The secret? No toads!) Linda Bailey's story will thoroughly entertain pre-readers, as it hits the right notes of droll humor spiced with just enough suspense. The lively artwork by Colin Jack keeps the energy level high, and the scenes of the toadlets wreaking havoc on fox's kitchen while he is distracted --- rolling in honey, pelting canned peas at each other, parachuting off the cabinet using bread slices --- provide a funny visual subplot to the story that will keep youngsters involved. This book would provide a wonderful starting point for conversations about how sometimes the person who seems the strongest isn't the winner in the end, which could tie into a character education lesson on perseverance. It might also launch a discussion about trying new foods, after which the included recipe could be prepared as a classroom activity.

Linda Bailey a jonglé longtemps avec l'idée d'écrire, mais ce n'est qu'après avoir eu ses deux filles qu'elle a lancé sa carrière d'auteure. Elle a écrit des albums, des romans et aussi des livres informatifs. Linda a beaucoup voyagé dans sa vie et ses livres aussi! Certains sont publiés en Chine, en Corée, en Australie, en Grèce, en Pologne et dans de nombreux autres pays.

Linda Bailey has written more than twenty books for children in a number of different genres, including the best-selling Stanley-the-dog series, Toads on Toast, and most recently, If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur (Si jamais tu avais un dinosaure...). Linda has garnered a long list of honours in Canada such as the Ontario Blue Spruce Award, the Atlantic Provinces Hackmatack Award and the Arthur Ellis Award. She lives in Vancouver, BC.

Linda Bailey's profile page

Colin Jack est l'illustrateur très talentueux de la série Galaxy Zack et 1 Zany Zoo, ainsi que de nombreux albums jeunesse. Il œuvre également en tant que scénariste en images et créateur de personnages pour DreamWorks et a notamment travaillé sur Hôtel Transylvania, Glurp Attack et Ed, Edd et Eddy. Colin est né à Vancouver, mais réside à Redwood City, en Californie.

Colin Jack has illustrated several books for children, including the Galaxy Zack series, Toads on Toast, and If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur. He also works as a story artist and character designer at DreamWorks Studios. He lives in California with his wife and two kids.

Colin Jack's profile page

• Short-listed, Shining Willow Award, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award
• Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Winner, Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street Children's Book Committee
• Winner, Chocolate Lily Book Award, Picture Book category

... almost 100 percent of your students will want to hear the book again.—Kirkus Reviews

Bailey's dialogue is snappy and amusing, and the illustrations recall the scrappy TV-animation style of Chuck Jones.—The New York Times

... crackerjack dialogue ... loose, humorous cartoons ... Children in foodie households accustomed to discussions of how dishes are prepared will take to this---and they'll probably enjoy Toad-in-a-Hole, too.—Publishers Weekly

... adoption of a classic trickster strategy outfoxes the Fox ... plenty of fun.—School Library Journal

With cheeky illustrations, a smart, humour-filled story and a recipe you can make at home, you can expect to read this book again and again.—Canadian Family