One Tiny Treefrog: A countdown to survival by Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy

This story starts with ten eggs, but red-eyed treefrogs usually lay clutches of closer to forty eggs on leaves that overhang ponds or temporary pools of water. 

This is a wonderful nonfiction book which could be read across a wide range of ages. It is a counting book yes but it also a book about the lifecycle of the treefrog but then when we reach zero older readers will understand this little frog is another of the precious endangered creatures found in our world that need our protection.

This book is set in the low land wet forests of Costa Rica which is home to more than 12,000 plants, 800 birds, 400 reptiles and amphibians, 200 mammals and 175 freshwater fish.

Here is part of the text:

Ten tiny tadpoles grow in their eggs.

Nine alert tadpoles begin to wiggle free.

Eight wriggling tadpoles plunge in to a watery new home.

This book employs some excellent design features. End papers filled with frog eggs, there is a page you turn long-ways to see the plunge (read the line above), four pages of background information and facts, well-paced page turns, scientific names in small print on some pages where we see other species living in this wet environment and shiny paper with interesting colour changes on each page. You can see inside One Tiny Treefrog here. 

Publisher blurb: Deep in the tropical forest of Costa Rica, ten sticky frog eggs cling to a leaf. Only nine eggs hatch. Only eight tadpoles wind up in the water below. What will it take to survive the countdown to adulthood and begin the cycle again? This beautifully designed, color-drenched introduction to frog metamorphosis peeks at this animal’s habitats and predators as it illustrates competition and natural selection. Cocreators Mackenzie Joy and Tony Piedra have crafted a dazzling spin on the life of one of nature’s darlings, the red-eyed treefrog. Back matter invites budding naturalists to discover even more treefrog facts, revisit the pages to spot other Costa Rican species, and check out a bibliography.

You might find this nonfiction book in your school or local library:

Many years ago I also had this book which had photographs of ceramic sculptures - I should have kept it because I see it for sale for over AUS$50.

Tony Piedra grew up in Houston, Texas, chasing lizards in the backyard and capturing great adventures in his sketchbook. Eventually, he relocated to California, where he worked for many years at Pixar Animation Studios, building environments for some of the studio’s most popular movies, including Up and Coco. He is the creator of The Greatest Adventure, his debut picture book, and lives in northern California. Mackenzie Joy, as an artist, loves to scribble and paint on nontraditional canvases. As a writer, she enjoys finding the perfect rhythms, sounds, and words. As a storyteller, she wants to share stories that are quirky, hopeful, and thought-provoking. Mackenzie Joy lives in northern California. Books Up North

Here is an interview with Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy - they met and are now married. And here is their new book due out next month: