Toad Heaven

In these continuing adventures of Limpy the cane toad, who first shot to fame in Toad Rage, the story opens with Uncle Nick being squashed flat by a truck and baked hard in the Australian sun. The resourceful Limpy covers him with sap from the sticky sap tree, so that big cousin Goliath can use him as an insect-trapping frisbee. Then the toads no longer need to venture onto the dangerous highway to catch the supper lurking under the streetlights. Basking in praise for the success of this plan ('your invention is going to make flat cane toads a things of the past') and being hailed - by Mum and Dad at least - as a future leader, Limpy dreams up an even more daring plot. In a bid to escape from the four-wheel drives threatening their placid swamp existence, he proposes to move the whole toad troop to a national park - places where 'no living thing is ever shot, trapped, poisoned, stabbed, run over, blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with cricket bats. Or folding chairs'. But first he has to convince Ancient Eric, and deal with power-crazed Malcolm - and the 'conservationist' who - according to his dog - wants to infect them all with a virus. The sort of book which will keep most children glued to the pages for a good couple of hours: well-written, inventive and hysterically funny (for adults too). Ages 8-11 (Kirkus UK)