Synopsis
Kicky is the only frog who has not yet lost his tail and Croaker teases that he is still a tadpole--until they get in trouble and Kicky's tail saves the day.
Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D. - Children's Literature
All of Kicky's friends are full fledged frogs. He is the only one who still has a tail. Hoppy offers encouragement, but Croaker makes fun of Kicky and complains that his tail gets in the way when they are playing games. Croaker accuses Kicky of cheating when he uses his tail to make a save as the goalie in frogball. Seeing his distress, some of his friends come up with plans to pull Kicky's tail off, but it sticks tight. Everyone's attention is diverted when piranhas swim into their part of the lake. Kicky's tail enables him to swim quickly and distract the vicious fish as the frogs find safe spots. When Croaker pulls Kicky to safety, they discover his tail is gone. Bright, colorful illustrations occupy much of the space of each page, depicting first the frustration and then the joy of the frogs. Directions for making a piranha from cardboard and a chart showing the life cycle of a frog follow the story. Information about the author and illustrator, along with their pictures, appear in the back. A good book about friendship for young children. "Flying Foxes" series. 2004, Crabtree, and Ages 6 to 8.