FACE TO FACE WITH FROGS

Biologist Moffett describes some unusual frogs he has met on assignment for National Geographic magazine. The striking illustrations are primarily his own color photographs, most from Central and South America and Vietnam. The casual browser will be immediately drawn in by the opening description of watching a Columbian teenager poison a dart with secretions from a frog’s skin to kill a peccary. Moffett explains the difference between toads and other frogs and describes the change from tadpole to adult before returning to his description of atypical frogs, focusing especially on the Puerto Rican coqui. Finally, in a chapter curiously called “Deadly Frogs,” he tells how dart frogs are exceptionally good mothers. Sidebars and endmatter add facts, information about environmental threats and suggestions for readers who want to study frogs in the wild. A map shows the global home of the frogs pictured (except for the one in Massachusetts, which actually originates in Korea). Like others in the Face to Face series, this is more useful for encouraging the sense of wonder than for research. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 7-10)