In this attractive picture book, Markle uses a fictional story to supply nonfiction facts. It's a gloomy, rainy day, and Ally and her grandma feel blue. But an excuse to shake their doldrums arrives with some exciting news. Ally and her grandma reluctantly pull on boots and rain slickers and head out into the wet twilight streets to check it out, but all they see are the usual puddles, earthworms, clouds, and . . . toads! Yes, it's perfect weather for the semiannual toad migration, during which volunteers block off the road so toads can safely cross the pavement to the ponds on the other side. Ally joins in, and by the time she's done, she has a whole new outlook on rainy days: "Toad weather makes me happy." Gonzalez's illustrations lovingly capture the wet reflections of galoshes, glowing street lights, and shadows in aqueous watercolor washes, and the rows of toads leaping through the grass are awfully cute. An author's note explains the real toad migration in Philadelphia.

K-Gr 2 It's a rainy March afternoon with end-of-the-day, gray light when Ally and her grandmother are surprised by Mama, who excitedly bursts through the door. Encouraged to join her in the "nearly-nighttime," the three move quickly through cold rain, searching the streets for a special surprise promised by Mama. A sound like tiny whistles gets louder and louder through the "drippy, slowing-down rain" before they turn the corner and spot a sign: TOAD DETOUR. For only a few weeks each spring in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, the toads head to ponds and a nearby reservoir to mate and lay eggs. Photo-realistic illustrations in pastel and pencil on watercolor paper capture a unique experience on full pages and spreads as residents gather to assist the yearly migration of hundreds of toads moving with determination toward water. Faces express the wonder of walking through "the dripping, freshly-washed, after-the-toad-weather city," and an author's note clarifies the scientific details. VERDICT An appealing seasonal selection for most libraries. Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX