The Wondrous Journey of the Toad

AGE: 6 up

Sick and tired of Mom and Dad Toad, Little Toad wants freedom and a good time. "Have you ever seen Lake Fake?" he asks Richard the Grasshopper. "Seen it?" says Richard, "I`ve always wanted to. But I heard about it from a crab, who heard about it from a beetle, who heard about it from a dragonfly whose word is as good as gold." With this solid reassurance, Toad sets out to find the legendary Lake Fake. On his way he meets a crow who dreams of cheese, visits the City of Endless Happiness, is joined by Champion Jumper Snail, Champion Runner Snail and the Unsurpassed Spider. When the Kingdom-That-Is-The-Wrong-Way-Up-Of-Upside-Down needs fixing, Toad sends a message that he`ll be right there and fixes it. Lake Fake is... yes, fake. But Toad`s pluck and resourcefulness save the day and the animals still manage to produce a play (after squabbling, of course). Shabtai`s story and play brim with exuberance.

Illustrations: Wolf Erlbruch