The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: The Mystery of Darwin's Frog, Marty Crump

The Mystery of Darwin's Frog

Marty Crump

Finalist:Colorado Book Award -Children's Literature (2014)
A frog full of tadpoles? Impossible! Here, for the first time, is the strange but true story of Darwin's frog.

After Charles Darwin discovered the frog in 1834, other researchers found that one of his specimens was packed full of tadpoles. Was the frog a cannibal, or perhaps a rare species that gave birth to live young instead of laying eggs? No. He was a male, holding the tadpoles safe in his vocal sac while they morphed into froglets. And the surprises didn't stop there. Author and frog scientist Marty Crump mines her firsthand experiences studying Darwin's frog to tell the fascinating story for young readers. Award-winning illustrators Steve Jenkins and Edel Rodriguez lend their art to a mix of beautiful photographs. Young readers will be enthralled by this story of real science, full of strange surprises.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Astra Young Readers
  • Publish Date: Apr 1st, 2013
  • Pages: 40
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.10in - 8.70in - 0.50in - 0.90lb
  • EAN: 9781590788646
  • Recommended age: 07-10
  • Categories: Animals - Reptiles & AmphibiansScience & Nature - Biology

About the Author

Martha L. 'Marty' Crump, PhD, is a behavioral ecologist who has studied Darwin's frogs in their natural habitat in Chile. She has written six books, two of them for young readers. Her previous children's book for Boyds Mills Press, Mysteries of the Komodo Dragon, was named a Best Book of the Year by Bank Street College of Education. She lives in Logan, UT.

Steve Jenkins has received numerous awards and critical praise for his artwork and innovative book design. His books have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He passed away in 2022.

Edel Rodriquez was born in Havana, Cuba, and studied painting at Pratt Institute and Hunter College. His work has appeared in five picture books, on stamps for the US Postal Service, and on posters for films and Broadway shows. He is a regular contributor to the New Yorker magazine and was an art director at Time magazine for more than a decade.

More books by Marty Crump

Book Cover for: Frog Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Amphibian Lives, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg: The Lore and Mythology of Amphibians and Reptiles, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Headless Males Make Great Lovers: And Other Unusual Natural Histories, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: A Year with Nature: An Almanac, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers & Other Unusual Relationships, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: In Search of the Golden Frog, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Mysteries of the Komodo Dragon: The Biggest, Deadliest Lizard Gives Up Its Secrets, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Agua Y Tierra, Marty Crump
Book Cover for: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Americas: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Americas, Marty Crump

Praise for this book

★ "Eye-catching and thought-provoking."--School Library Journal, starred review

"The eye-catching volume is illustrated with color photographs, detailed artistic renderings of the frog by Jenkins, and ink-and-watercolor portraits of the various human personalities involved by Rodriguez, making its creation as collaborative as science itself. An attractively designed and informative introduction to a fascinating amphibian full of strange suprises."--Kirkus Reviews

"Jenkins' cut-paper constructions combine with Rodriguez's portraits of scientists and with arresting color photographs of the frogs in the wild. Crump investigates a riddle of biodiversity with clarity and style."--Publishers Weekly