This was a very different story about a toad than what one might suspect. Tungtang the toad liked adventure. She was not content to sit in the pond everyday, she went off on adventures. When sharing a story with her friends, a bossy, bullying crow came along and starting teasing her and throwing acorns at her. The other toads began to doubt her stories. When she was challenged to go to town, she decided she would follow her dreams and head off. At this point, she is not sure what to do in the unfamiliar surroundings and ends up in a tea shop. She tasted some tea and decides she likes it. She learns about tea, the english language and almost becomes civilized while living there. Unfortunately for the owners, sipping other's tea. eating their pastries and leaving mud on the table upset customers and the owners almost lost the shop. They set a trap and eventually caught Tungtang. Imagine their surprise when she could talk and tell them about the tea. Fortunately for them, she became their tea taster and saved their shop.

There was a lot of humor in this story at the expense of humans. Talking about houses and cars was a hoot and then using expensive perfume instead of just rolling around in the things that mother nature provides made me chuckle. This was a fun story with adventure and humor. It shows kids that sometimes we have to ignore the nay sayers and follow our dreams. The illustrations were large and colourful. I would have liked to see more of them, but they added to the story well. This would be a cute chapter book for those early chapter readers as well as a good read aloud for younger children. This would be a good book in a family, classroom or school library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Tungtang always thought of herself as an adventurous toad until one day a nasty crow laughs at her stories of adventure and tells her real adventure is going far away to somewhere you have never been. Tungtang decides that if she is going to be a real adventurer she needs to something different, something unheard of. She is going into the town!
Grandpa Nutbelch tells her about Dustysox the Great and his prophecy about a toad that goes on a journey and achieves great fame among the humans. Tungtang believes she is the one to fulfill the prophecy.

Once she gets to the town she takes up residence in a tea shop. She loves the smell and taste of all the different tea blends. She causes quite a lot of trouble in the shop during the day, stealing buns and upsetting tea cups but she always manages to escape detection. All this disruption is causing problems for the tea shop owners and the shop may have to be closed down. Will Tungtang be caught? Will the shop be closed down? How will Tungtang fulfill the prophecy?

This was a fun book to read and Tungtang was such a cheeky toad stealing sticky buns by day and hiding in the storeroom and rolling in the tea at night. Names like Lady Lobsterpants, Dustysox and Muddybum are sure to elicit a few giggles. Tungtang’s observations of humans and their ways was also quite amusing.
The illustrations by Korey Scott were colourful and brought the story to life.

The Toad Who Loved Tea is a wonderful story about adventure and discovering your true talent quite often lies in the things you love doing.
Written as a first introduction to chapter books with full page illustrations it is best recommended for ages 3 -7 years ( )

Unlike the other toads in Muddy River, Tungtang isn't content to sit on a stone and do nothing. She has a wanderlust that drives her to venture into human territory. She finds a new home in a tea shop, where she quickly develops a love for tea in all its varieties. The owners of the tea shop are at first puzzled by the muddy tracks that Tungtang leaves behind. When they finally discover the toad who has been inhabiting their tea shop, they also discover that she has a rare talent that will be of great benefit to them.

This colorfully illustrated chapter book is suitable for older elementary readers. It's rather text-heavy, so parents and teachers of younger children might need to read it in installments rather than in a single sitting. I am much older than a kindergartener and I wasn't able to read it in a single sitting. Parents and teachers might wish to know that there is some name-calling in the book, including “stupid.” I know many parents who do not allow their children to use this word in reference to another person.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

This book is adorable. It had me laughing out loud. It's the story of Tungtang, a frog who goes to a town called Cobblestone to seek an adventure. While there, she takes refuge in a tea shop and learns all about humans. Here she shares her thoughts about them...

Unlike toads, who could have a deep and meaningful conversation by exchanging a few well-chosen croaks here and there, humans feel the need to talk loudly all the time - usually while the person they were speaking to was also speaking.

Not wanting to be discovered, Tangtung secretly tastes the various teas that are served to patrons and also steals the pastries that are served with the teas. Patrons are apalled at the muddy footprints they find on their tables and furious about their missing tea and their disappearing pastries. The store owners, Kamran and Lydia, finally discover Tangtung, but do not harm her after they discover that she has become quite a tea expert. This story has a very happy ending as Tangtung becomes the store's tea taster.

I would love to visit such a store! I wish that Tangtung were a real toad and could give lectures about the best teas to buy. I would attend her lectures!

This little book has some poetry which also made me laugh. Here is the poem that Tangtung recites while snuggling down in tea leaves she uses as a bed:

Toad for tea and tea for toad
How I love my humble abode
Rows of crates without an end
Filled with every luscious tea blend,

Pay attention to the very sweet art work by Korey Scott. If you don't usually like toads, you'll probably find an exception here, and fall in love with Tangtung by the end of this story. ( )

Tungtang the Toad sets off from Muddy River to town where she discovers a tea shop and discovers she loves it and can't get enough of it. However, the tea shop receives complaints because of muddy tables, missing tea, and missing pastries. Will the owners figure out what is happening? Will the toad continue to enjoy tea? You'll need to read this delightful book for children to find out. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with expectations of an honest review in exchange. ( )