Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad’s Tale

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Deep in the desert,

under the sand,

the spadefoot toad waits.

She waits…for the sound

of rain.

Skitter, skitter, scratch.

She hears soft sounds.

Is this the rain at last?

Explore life cycles, amphibians, desert creatures, rain, and the skill of listening by experiencing the suspense and lyrical language of this award-winning nonfiction book about a spadefoot toad in the Sonoran Desert.

Standards can be found here.

Posted On: Tuesday, August 21st, 2001
Filed Under: Books, Picture Books - Nonfiction

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Awards & Recognition

2002 Children's Book of Distinction Award List - Riverbank Review

Best of Editors' Choice 2001 - ALA/Booklist

Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children for 2002. Also a Selector's Choice - National Science Teachers Association/ Children's Book Council.

Top Ten Science Books For Youth, 2001 - Booklist

Lasting Connections list books "recommended for their outstanding level of quality for their inherent child appeal and for their accessibility in classroom and library settings." - Book Links

Reviews

"Sayre once again writes about the natural world in a way that is clear, precise, and poetic. The text, which is akin to that of any good fiction picture book in its brevity, attention to sensory details, and read-aloud potential, also conveys the life cycle of a single species in a cogent and memorable way..." - *Starred Review, Booklist