In a big, big pond, 999 very little tadpoles begin to grow, sprouting legs and arms, until they become frogs big enough to hop onto land. All, that is, except the youngest tadpole, who lags behind his siblings' development and gets left behind. He is not alone for long, however, when an even smaller crayfish mistakes him for his big brother. The two play all day, but when the tadpole can't find Little Brother in the morning, he grows worried. After looking in the pond, Big Brother w a frog cides to continue his search on land, where he encounters his biggest surprise yet! With just a few lines per page, the simple text provides an engaging introduction to concepts of size. Murakami's vibrant watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are adorably rendered, perfectly matching the sweetness behind this story of friendship and brotherly love. This winning addition to Kimura's frog and tadpole tales (999 Tadpoles, 2011, and 999 Frogs Wake Up, 2013) will delight readers, leaving them with the biggest of smiles.

In this third book (999 Tadpoles; 999 Frogs Wake Up!), one little tadpole struggles to keep up with his 998 faster-growing brothers. A chance meeting with a tiny crayfish lets him feel big and saves him from a giant snake. The story concept isn't original, but the design, featuring bright green frogs against a stark white background, is appealing.