School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Gr 5-7 Most frog species give parenting the go-bye after egg-laying and fertilization, but a select number of these amphibious hoppers take their nurturing skills seriously. One of these "caring" species is Rhinoderma darwinii, an inch-long frog discovered by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834, while on his expedition aboard the Beagle . Other scientists investigated little Rhinoderma from time to time over the years, discovering that the males slurp up their almost-hatched or newly hatched tadpoles, brood them in their vocal sacs, and perhaps even feed them with substances released by the lining of the sac. Crump entered the Rhinoderma arena of investigation after years of work on other South American frog species, and in clear, readable prose she describes the earlier investigations of this intriguing frog and records her own efforts to document how it lives in the wild. She discusses her findings and goes on to present the problems facing not only Darwin's frogs, but also frogs in general-loss of habitat, pollution, and the assault of the lethal Bd fungus. The book is aglow with clear color photos and some great artwork. Team this with Laurence Pringle's fine Frogs! Strange and Wonderful (Boyds Mills, 2012), Nic Bishop's colorful Frogs (Scholastic, 2008), and Mark W. Moffett's eye-catching Face to Face with Frogs (National Geographic, 2008) for a fascinating unit, or, for more advanced frog lovers, with Sandra Markle's sterling The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs (Millbrook, 2012) and Pamela Turner's superb The Frog Scientist (Houghton, 2009). Eye-catching and thought-provoking.— Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

ALA Booklist (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Scientist Crump introduces Darwin's frog, a species collected by Charles Darwin, though he knew nothing of their most surprising behavioral characteristic. Once the female lays eggs, she wanders off. The male takes over by fertilizing the eggs, protecting them, and, once the tadpoles hatch, slurping them into his vocal sac, where they develop for two months before they emerge from his mouth as tiny frogs. It has taken generations to solve various mysteries surrounding Darwin's frogs, but now scientists face a more urgent question: Why is the species disappearing? The many color illustrations include helpful photos from several sources (including Crump); handsome cut-paper collages by Jenkins; and portrait drawings, silhouettes, and maps by Rodriguez. Clearly written and informative, this colorful book takes readers along as Crump studies the frogs in Chile and discusses their disappearing habitat as well as the virus that may be killing them. The book's historical perspective offers insight into science as an approach and a process rather than a body of knowledge. A fine addition to the science shelves.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Told in an accessible first-person narrative by the behavioral ecologist author, this book describes the Darwin's frog, an unusual species in which the male broods tadpoles in his vocal sac until they emerge as froglets. The science is solid, and the combination of photos, sketches, and Jenkins's art brings the history of the frog's discovery and its unique behavior to life. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind

Kirkus Reviews

In an engaging blend of biology and history, frog scientist Crump tells the story of how we have come to know what we do about one of the world's most unusual frogs. The frog was first discovered by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834 and later named for him. In 1848, a French zoologist found that one of Darwin's specimens was packed full of tadpoles. Scientists were baffled by this surprise. Was the frog a cannibal or a rare species that gave birth to live young instead of laying eggs? Crump explains how scientists eventually discovered that males of the species hold tadpoles safe in their vocal sacs until the polliwogs metamorphose into froglets. The latest mystery scientists are trying to unravel about Darwin's frog is the cause of a lethal fungus that may drive the species to extinction. The author also shares her firsthand experiences studying Darwin's frog in their natural habitat. The eye-catching volume is illustrated with color photographs, detailed artistic renderings of the frog by Jenkins, and ink-and-watercolor portraits of the various human personalities involved by Rodriguez, making its creation as collaborative as science itself. An attractively designed and informative introduction to a fascinating amphibian full of strange surprises. (glossary, bibliography, websites, index) (Nonfiction. 7-11)