Gummytoes

Blue Spruce Award shortlist, 2005

Gummytoes is a beautiful tree frog. But he's tired of blending into the background. He wants to be seen and admired. So one day he leaps right up to a group of children and lets out a CHIRP. The children are impressed. When the tree frog uses his sticky toes to climb their glass jar, the children are amazed. When Gummytoes snatches bugs out of the air with his long tongue, the children are astonished. Now the tree frog is the center of attention, and he loves it. But the children are so pleased with Gummytoes that they scoop up the little tree frog, pop him into the jar and take him home to their terrarium. They squeal when he chirps and thump on the glass when he climbs. Poor Gummytoes is miserable. He misses his quiet home. He doesn't want attention any more. What
can a little tree frog do?

But there are lots of things that tree frogs can do, and Gummytoes is about to use all his talents to finally escape notice and find a
way home.