Reviews: (by author)

Gleitzman, Morris. Toad Rage. New York: Random House, 1999. $14.95 Hardcover ISBN 0-375-82762-5, 165 pp.

Visit www.morrisgleitzman.com.

Limpy is an unfortunate, despondent, and somewhat crippled cane toad with a big question on his little amphibian mind: "Why do humans hate us?"   He simply cannot accept the facts of life: "It's just the way things are," replies Limpy's Dad. Living among the muddy puddles of the Queensland highways in Australia, Limpy has busied himself collecting and storing his hard, squashed relatives, or "rellies."   Sick and tired of the constant worry that his little sister Charm and cousin Goliath are next in line for the flattening, Limpy decides to take the matter into his own hands and braves rejections of all kinds, for the safety and protection of future generations (of cane toads) of course. In a place where warts tingle, crook legs ache, and throat sacs wobble, is the miraculous birth of a new genre of stories for kids and young adults.   From gas station to stormwater drain to Olympic Games, this adventure is one that mustn't be missed.   An extremely funny, sensitive, emotionally charging heroic tale of a young cane toad in search of the impending truth about humans, the fact that they really do hate cane toads, and discovering more than he bargained for about the harsh reality of life.

Life is not just a journey for young Limpy; his aspiration to be a "Games Mascot" turns into a long hard quest for survival. While his initial discovery of humans is somewhat pleasant, their discovery of him is quite the opposite and leaves this skinny toad with many lessons to be learned.   Being a cane toad is a pretty unrewarding experience, that is, of course, unless you have an overwhelming drive to save the world of cane toads from "human terrorism." Despite his small size and repulsively ugly warts, however, Limpy's determination to succeed is huge and infinite; an inspiration to every one he meets along the way. With little help from his predecessors, who are now mostly flat, dry, and piled high in his bedroom, Limpy learns that he can make a difference, even if his original goal, to save his species from extinction, went extinct itself.   Limpy leaps and bounds, literally, across the Australian countryside to find himself in the "Big City," home of the 2000 Olympic Games.   Unfortunately, the only Olympic Gold Medal he's taking home is one for bravery and courage. This feel-good tale is filled with suspense and intrigue; perfect for a TV series or movie and fun for all ages. Parents included will "tingle with curiosity" to find out what happens to Limpy next.

Highly Recommended
Rebekah Tobias, June 2004

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