School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

K-Gr 3 In a primordial swamp, "One little polliwog swirled in the soup,/bouncing off bubbles/Bloop./Bloop./Bloop." From that point, the author follows the development of one intrepid tadpole: "somewhere inside him deep in his core,/there slumbered an inner tyrannosaur." The rhyming text is image-rich, informational, and fun to read aloud: "Gone are the dinosaurs. Gone are the stompers,/the rippers, the roarers, the bone-crunching chompers./Gone are the dinosaurs, swept away./But hoppers and croakers are here to stay." Cyrus's oversize artwork conveys information spectacularly, beginning with a dramatic wrap-around cover and continuing with interesting perspectives of dinosaurs and the prehistoric environment. Created in scratchboard and then colored digitally, the illustrations are luminous and striking. In "A Note from the Author," Cyrus gives additional background about frog fossils, their evolutionary development, and the impact of climate change on their survival. This is an exciting blend of science and literature that children will appreciate. Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI

ALA Booklist (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

This creature tribute to frogs begins with dinosaurs tromping about the swamp where a polliwog names Rex swims, avoids predators, and changes as he grows. Opening with the lines, "Deep in the goop of a long-ago swamp, / a whopping big dinosaur went for a stomp," the text retains the same rhythm and rhyme as it follows Rex's development from tadpole to enormous frog. Along the way, the verse notes that, even when he was very small, Rex had "an inner tyrannosaur," an idea that will appeal to many preschoolers. An appended note expands on this idea, explaining how plant-eating tadpoles become meat-eating frogs and commenting on the amazingly long history of frogs as well as new threats to their survival. Best seen from a distance, the startlingly vivid illustrations feature bold scratchboard lines enhanced by colors and textures added digitally.

Kirkus Reviews

A tiny frog unleashes his inner tyrannosaur when his diet changes from plants to prey. In prehistoric times, a timid polliwog lies in the mud at the bottom of his puddle, hiding from predators. The rhyming text, fruity with primeval "bloops" and "floops," follows his growth as he becomes a frog. And then he hides no more. In touch with his inner predator, he ribbets for all to hear, attracting the attention of the large dinosaurs: "Bouncing about with the boldest of hops, / Rex nearly tripped a triceratops." Having taken his stand, he then quietly returns to skulk in his puddle, only his eyes visible above the surface. The swampy greens and hard edges of the digitally colored scratchboard artwork suit the prehistoric period and rough scales of the dinosaurs perfectly, while the varying scale of the illustrations will keep readers on their toes—Cyrus is a master of the extreme close-up. Readers will thrill to the action and suspense while teachers will appreciate the subtle lesson on the life cycle of frogs. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)