Starred Review A tadpole asks, "Am I a frog?" "Not yet. But soon," comes the reply and an explanation that the tadpole's life began in an egg that hatched. Then the tadpole ate and grew. Like a fish, it now has gills for breathing and a tail for swimming. "Am I a fish?" asks the tadpole. No, but as the tadpole gets bigger, its front and back legs will grow, while its tail shortens and disappears. The changes are evident in the illustrations. "Now am I a frog?" "Not yet. But soon." Time passes and the froglet grows, until one day, sitting on a lily pad, it suddenly jumps and catches a dragonfly with its tongue. "Now you are a frog." The final double-page spread shows eight stages of a frog's life cycle. Printed in large type for beginning readers, the simply written, informative text represents a conversation with a tadpole who's looking forward to growing up. His partner in conversation appears to be a nearby snail who's easy to spot in nearly every illustration. Created with watercolors and digital tools, the pleasing artwork helps viewers observe the basic stages of a frog's development. An inviting nonfiction book, beautifully designed for beginning readers and accessible to younger children as well.