Toad Away

Publishers Weekly

The amphibious cast of Toad Rage ("saucy fun from start to finish," according to PW) returns for a third installment, Toad Away by Morris Gleitzman. Testing his Aunty Pru's theory that "friendship is possible between all species," Limpy heads to the Amazon to discover how cane toads might live peacefully with humans. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

Limpy is certain that cane frogs and humans can live harmoniously together. He is tired of stacking his dead rellies in his room. (All of these relatives have been flattened on the highway running through their swamp in Australia.) When he learns that cane frogs originally came from the Amazon, he is determined to travel there to discover the secret of peaceful coexistence. Limpy, his sister Charm and his cousin Goliath hop on airplanes, transfer in Los Angeles, and arrive at their destination only to find that the Amazon is not a place of peace among either animals or humans. The local cane frogs fight for their existence amidst the myriad of predators that abound and spend little time worrying about humans. Goliath sets out to train an army of termites, ants, ticks, and bats for attack, but his effort is unsuccessful as the various troop members keep eating each other. Eventually the three frogs make their way back to Australia taking with them the secret for befriending humans. A fast moving story with a lot of gross humor and Australian slang (which is defined in a glossary). Readers who enjoyed the first two Toad books will welcome this continuation of the saga of a small cane frog's quest for peace and friendship. 2003, Random House, and Ages 7 to 11.
—Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Limpy, the pacifist cane toad, continues his noble quest to make friends with humans in this third entry in the zany Australian series. He is convinced that making peace is the way to stop humankind from flattening his relatives on the highway. His cousin Goliath, a perfect caricature of a gruff, dimwitted platoon sergeant, prefers to wage war. Hearing that their Amazonian relatives have discovered the secret to a peaceful coexistence between human and toad, Limpy, his sister, and Goliath hitch a ride on some migratory birds and rush to uncover the mystery. Finding the Amazon to be a murderous war zone with hostility among all of its animal inhabitants, the toads think their mission is hopeless-until they find that all humans are not bent on destroying them, and one in particular-an ancient wise man-reveals the sought-after secret. Ecological and peace-loving messages are nicely woven into the text, and all the toads have appealingly distinct personalities. A loving sibling relationship adds a gentle touch. The plot moves quickly, and there is enough kooky humor to hold children's interest. Although the book stands on its own, readers may seek out the earlier adventures. Animal fantasy fans will be delighted with this unusual perspective on the world and will be gobsmacked when they learn the secret to peaceful coexistence. A helpful glossary of tricky Australian lingo is included.-Quinby Frank, formerly at Green Hedges School, Vienna, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In his third outing (Toad Rage, 2004; Toad Heaven, 2005), Limpy the cane-toad peacenik travels all the way to the Amazon in search of an end to the bitter "war" humans seem determined to fight against all his ugly kind. Deciding that the secret to peace, if there is one, must be with his remotest ancestors, Limpy (along with his militant, dimwitted cousin Goliath and brilliant little sister Charm) leaves behind his carefully-tended stacks of dried out, road-killed "rellies" for distant South America. But rather than landing in the expected haven, he finds the jungle teeming with "thousands of creatures trying to hurt and maim and kill each other and eat one another's brains." As it happens, there actually is a solution to war there, too. Suffice it to say that Goliath's seemingly suicidal urge to attack humanity by scratching the finish on its cars and peeing in its drinks actually turns out to have some merit. There's a pacifist message somewhere beneath all the casual killing, poo jokes and warty angst in this slash-and-burn satire; maybe some readers will be able to see it. The appended glossary of Aussie slang is anything but superfluous. (Fantasy. 11-13)